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All Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Graduate Studies
1952
Factors Affecting the California Quail Populations
in Uintah County, Utah
R. Lynn Nielson
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FACTORS AFFECTING THE CALIFORNIA QUAIL POPULATIONS
IN UINTAH COUNTY:J UTAH
by
RIJ Lynn Nielson
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the cf.egree
or
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
Wildlife Management
UTAH STATE AGRleULTURAL COLLEGE
Logan s Utah
1952
GAGE
THE SENTINEL
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Information in this study of the California Quail in Utah has been
gathered while the writer was employed by the Utah Fish and Game
Department and while working under Federal Aid Project
F~Ao
37-Ro The
writer is greatly indebted to Mro R.. L. Turpin of the Utah Fish and
Game Department who has encouraged the study and has been cooperative
in its progressa
Dr .. J .. Eo Low, Leader of the Utah Cooperative
Wildlife Research Unit, has given freely of his time and provided
valuable guidance and advice throughout the progress of the study..
The
writer wishes to thank Clifton M.. Greenhalgh of the Utah Fish and Game
Department who has provided help and encouragement at critical timese
Credit is here given to Professor Do Co Tinge,y and Professor
Arthur Holmgren for their efforts in identifying plant seeds and
plants in connection with crop analYsis work e The cooperation of Mro
Fred Re.ynolds of the Utah Fish and Game Department in locating
isolated coveys of quail in Uintah County is acknowledged..
The
cooperation of the many game law enforcement officers has contributed
to statewide distribution data..
These men also assisted in the
stu~
by guiding the writer to quail areas.
The writer wishes also to thank Robert Dahlgren for help in the
crop analysis work, and the many others who in any way have been
associated with the gathering or the presentation of the
data~
TABLE OF CONTEN'rS
Page
Introduction
<II
0
..
"
Review of literature
•
Methods of study
<II
"
1
•
<II
a
..
a
0
"
General description of habitat and range
e
"
•
"
..
"
•
..
Original quail distribution
Quail distribution in Utah
•
Quail distribution in Uintah County
Quail distribution in the study area
..
Population trends and characteristics
Pre-nesting spring counts
Brood counts
•
41
•
•
"
Production
It
Roadside counts
•
Quail hunting returns
..
•
Juvenile weights
Adult weights
Transplanting
"
Natural spreading
Quail food habits
•
It
"
•
0
It
0
Roosting cover
"
"
•
"
7v
•
9v
•
13 "
8v
15
15
"
18
•
•
21
•
22
0
It
•
It
"
It
It
It
<II
..
It
"
"
"
<II
..
It
It
..
"
•
25
"
29
It
0
"
"
It
32
"
"
34·
•
38
It
•
.,
e
0
.,
"
"
..
I'
"
.
c
39
41
'-l' ~'
1.1"/ .-
49~'
55
a
0
33/
r~
I'
"
25
It
0
<II
..
7
"
..
..
Habitat preferences
•
16
•
•
Quail in relation to weather
Quail cover
It
0
"
5
•
0
0
It
0
•
•
Aging of quail
..
Age and sex ratios in the bag
Hunting pressure
•
Quail weights
•
•
It
•
•
•
3
"
"
55
"
S5
Page
Escape cover
•
Resting cover
• •
Nesting cover
..
Interspersion of cover
•
..
•
•
..
Other factors affecting quail numbers
Predation
Parasites and disease
Management considerations
Summary
It
'"
Bibliography
0
•
•
'"
•
•
•
..
..
..
..
"
"
..
69
•
•
58
61
63
69
72
&
"
•
..
58
..
..
0
•
..
•
•
•
•
•
74
•
79
83
LIST OF TABLES
Page
1.
2.
Calculated habitat range in terms of acres per
quail pair from spring and summer counts, 1950-1951
19
Minimum quail population based on brood count data
20
Computed potential quail populations in Ashle.y
Va11e,y based on known adult pairs and average
brood counts
eo
0
I)
I)
•
•
"
•
21
•
24
Quail roadside counts made by game wardens in utah
1949-1951.
5.
•
I)
I)"
•
I)
"
I)
•
"
Age and sex ratios of California Quail killed
by hunters in the Uintah Basin 3 1950-1951
I)
Comparison of juvenile ratios from brood counts
and hunter bag checks
"I)
0
•
"
I)
"
27
•
28
•
30
7. Number of quail examined at checking stations in
the'Uintah Basin and length of Utah quail seasons,
1948.-1951
"
It
•
I)
•
(.0
e e l )
Kill of quail as reported by a 10 percent sample
of Utah upland game bird hunters, 1948-1951
•
31
9. Weights of California Quail in grams for known ...·
aged young (Utah)
e
e
(.0
0
(>
I)
I)
IDe Weight in grams of California Quail trapped in
1950G:,1951 in the Uintah Basin "..
".
11.
120
35
Weight in grams of California Quail trapped in
Salt Lake and Carbon Counties~ Utah, 1951
• •
Transplants of California Quail during the period
of study~ 1950=1952
e
e
5
0
0
"
I)
130
33
o
37
o
39
o
43
The crops of quail by sex and date of collection,
Uintah Basin, Utah~ 1949-1951
0
0
0
0
0
I)
Volume in cc of food species eaten by California
Quailj Uintah Basin~ Utah, 1950=1951
o.
0
Occurrence of food species for 40 California
Quail crops.., Uintah Basin" Utah, 1950---1951
0
Numbers of seeds eaten~ as indicated~ from 40
crops of quail, Uintah Basin.') Utah, 1950-1951
45
"
o
46
Figure
Page
•
.,
62
•
.,
.,
62
•
.,
eo
6'7
e
•
•
.,
67
•
•
•
•
76
.,
e
16. The cover area of a typical California Quail
., • • • ., .,
brood in the Uintah Basin
150
Quail nest in gras s showing concealment
0
17. A two-brood quail range.
canal.)
(N ot e willows along
Stuqy area, Uintah BaSin, Utah • .,
18. Typical quail habitat, the first summer
following spring burning of cover
•
•
19. Snowfall, minimum winter temperature, and
quail kill in utah, 1947-1951
• • • .,
INTRODUCTION
The California Quail is native to the coastal and semi-arid
regions of California extending north into Oregono
Two subspecies
are commonly recognized 9 the California Quail (Lophortyx californica
brunnescens Ridgway).v and the Valley Quail (Lophortyx californica
californica Shaw)
0
The two forms are very similar in coloration and
habits and!) for the purpose of this study.., no effort is made to
distinguish the twoo
The introduction of California Quail into Utah and their
reaction to this climate has been an interesting part of the upland
bird history of the state o
The earliest known introduction did not
specify which subspecies of quail was introduced o
From the Deseret
Evening News of November lO~ 1869 9 we quote:
ffDONffT SHOOT THE QUAILSo=~- We were waited upon
yesterday by Captain Zabriskie..,· of Camp Doug1as.v who
informed us that General Gibbon.v a short time since 9
brought to this territory fourteen pair of California
Quails,p and set them at liberty for the purpose of
propagation 0 The Captain informs us that the day
before yesterday he saw a pair of these birds that had
been shot by some person,9 and he wished us to make a
request for parties fond of sport not to interfere with
them,9 at present~ at any rate!) They are a very beautiful
birdj) excellent eating,9 and multiply very rapidly!) and i f
let> alone they will soon be plentiful.? but if killed off
now!) an excellent intent will be frustratedo"
other introductions were
made~
complicating the possibilities
that both subspecies of quail may well have been introduced early
into the stateo
This probability is born out Qy Phillips (1928)
who cites an example of two specimens from Utah identified as
Valley Quail (~o.£o vallicola),9 while HeJ.lmayer and Connover
(1942)
2
list two spec:iJn.ens from Ogden now in the Field Museum Collection that
are identified as the California Quail
that these identifications are
eorrect~
(1.~o
brunnescens).
Assuming
we may conclude that both sub-
species have been introduced.
Following these introductions prior
to
the turn of the century"
the quail reproduced and,.in soine areas s became quite numerous.
The
Utah Biennial Reports (1899-1900 s 1903-1904) indicated a rise in
populations in various counties» with no known previous definite record
of introductions into some of the specific areas mentioned.
After 1900,
quail were transplanted into numerous counties of the state, following
a recognition that this bird was reproducing in the areas of its
original release in Utah.
From this study" ~ and from scattered and
incomplete reports» it is evident that this game bird has survived ir1
Utah without much help from man, following early introductions to the
present timet)
3
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Reports on activities of the California Quail date back earlier
than 19000
Because of the popularity
ot quail as game
in its i1ative
area» this bird has been the object of numerous studieso
Unfortunately» however» only one report has been found which had as'
its main objective the study of the California QUail in Utaho
Oddly
enough.!) little is known of this game bird in Utah» or of its food and
cover needs o
No data known to the writer are available on those
factors which limit Utah quail populations 0
The life history" foodsD cover needs.!) and m.ethods of censusing
the California Quail have been studied in California o
Thus it is
necessar,y to confine our review of data on quail to the studies made
in California in order to establish a background upon which t he quail
study in Utah might be based o
Twining (1939) records the decline in numbers of quail in
California.!) which occurred prior to 1900 9 but was unable to determine
the cause for the declineo
Grinnell (1927) observed the need of
water for quail.!) which may have been responsible for the later
development of a wat ering devioe» the "Guzzler"
Schwartz
0
Schwartz and
(1949) considered the habitat choice and status of quail
introduced into Hawaii» however,9 little data have been fQund which may
serve as a guide in the stuqy of factors affecting populations of
quail under the severe winter condition.s found in Utah o
AccordinglY the status of quail recorded by Br,rant (1912)>> the
life histor,y
of
quail as observed b.r Sumner (1935)>> the foods of quail
4
as reported b,y Glading (1938)>> the distribution and activities of quail
as described by Grinnell s Bryant.1} and Storer (1918) s and the methods of'
:increasing quail as recorded by Emlen and Glading (1945) may best serve
to supply methods by which data may be secured on the factors limiting
the increase of quail populatiol).s in Utah.
5
METHODS OF STUDY
The present study of
spring of 1950.
C~lifornia
QuaU in utah began in the earq
A few quail in, the Uintah Basin were reported to have
slirVived the previous winter.
A total of 50 pairs of wild trapped quail was taken from the foot ...
hills in the east part of Salt Lake City and held for a time in a pen
near Vernal, Utabjl after which they were released and observations made
of their movements,!) feeding habits» cover needs,!) and nesting efforts.
A follow-up was made of the local reports on the native quail within
the Ashley Valley and the quailltere located wherever possible.
thus located were observed throughout the summer and fall.
Quail
Special
note was taken of the habitat choiees and needs of the quail and of
their reproductive successo
A stuqy area of about 320 acres was chosen in 1951 in Ashle.y
Valle.r where observations on various aspects of the habitat relation=
ships
of quail might more
closelY be recorded o
Other quail areas were visited within the state where notes were
taken concerning their activities and habitat preferenceso
Crops were
collected from birds killed on the roads and from birds in the
hunters 11 bag during the hunting seasono
These crops were analyzed to
determine foods utilized and food preferences during various seasons
of the yearo
Hunter sue-cress data were secured from interviewing' t-he lnmters at
the checking stations in the Uintah Basin at which time information on
weights~ age~
and sex of the birds were also recorded o
6
More than 100 quail were marked with "Bow-ties ft , as described by
Wint (1951), and released into the study area near Vernal to determine
movements and spread of the quail into new areas.
Markers were
recovered after having been lost by the quail., precluding the effective
use of ifBow-tiesft in the study.
7
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT AND RANGE
A knowledge of the habitat of quail in their native range provides
information for recognizing adequate habitat in other areas.
An
under-
standing of the choice of habitat by quail in UtahJl and particularly in
the Uintah Basin, is a requisite
to a determination of critical factors
affecting quail survival in these areas.
Original quail distribution
The native range of the California Quail extends trom southwestern
Oregon south to southern Monterey County I California, and, according to
Grinnell, Bryant and Storer (1918), it norma~ varies from an elevation
of sea level to 4,000 feet and as high as 8,.500 feet.
The Valley Quail
was found from Klamath Lake, Oregon, south throughout California and
Low~ California to Cape San Lucas.
At higher elevations this species
BaY' overlap the range of the Mountain Quail (Oreortyx picta).9 but the
Valley Quail are believed by Sumner (1935) to be limited at higher
elevations by a lack of
n sufficient
and suitable f ood1t •
It is suggested by Sumner (193.5) that the California Quail is
able to survive in California so long as suitable food and cover is
available.
Their range is described as ext ending from the coastal fog
belt inland to the edge of the arid deserts, where it merges with the
range of the Gambel Quail (Lophortyx gambeli)s and north to the areas
of heavy
snOWSo
This includes a considerable land area within the
state of California and a small part of southern Oregono
The general habitat of quail in California provides cover
meeting their needs for escape from weather and predators,9 and also
8
for roostingo
Adequate foods must be available in addition to some
Sumner (1935) lists the requirements of quail under
source of water.
two headings as follows:
"1. Good interspersion of cover plants (usually of chaparral
type plus trees for roosting) with food-bearing plants
(herbaceous weeds and grasses)>> and 2. Some available form of
water.'"
Quail distribution
!!! ~
The general topography' of Utah varies from high mountains and
fertile valleys to dry mountains and nearly barren deserts.
Utah is considered an arid state since the over-all average
rainfall is onlY 12 to 13 inches.
In
addition~
a large portion of the
land is desert or otherwise unusable for cultivation.
The fertile
cultivated area of Utah is about two percent of the total land,
(United States Bureau of Census" 1946).
The less productive lands
vary in vegetative growth from the sagebrush-juniper type to the
barren deserts.
The more humid and fertile areas of Utah are characterized by
the high timbered mountain areas supplying water to fertile valleys.
The elevation of the valleys are from 4!)OOO to 6,,000 feet above sea
I
level$! however ~ the mountains may extend as high as 14$!000 feet.
The alluvial deposits at the mouth of canyons with
SlU"rOlmding
valley floors constitute much of the agricultural land currently
being utilizede
Growths of cottonwood (Populus sppo):> willow (Salix
sPP.)s sage (Artemesia tridentata)s yellow bush (Ch;rsothamnus
sppo)~
and other species have grown up along permanent stream banks:> canals s
and field borders.
Swamps are not uncommon in the areas of lower
elevation in the valleys.
California Quail in Utah are found in the fertile valleys and
'r
11
n
r
)'
117"t, l~
9
'l
.:\
lower alluvial regions
of the Wasatch MOlnltains which extend in
general through- the state in a north-south directiono
Less extensive
populations occur in other areas in and around smaller farming
communities where water is available from nearby mountainso
These are
the areas that typically support growths of cottonwood trees$! willows"
and various types of brush and weeds along its stream banks$I ditches$I
and canals that have long been so attractive to quail.
This is the
general type of topography and vegetation that currently support s the
largest and most stable quail populations.
Quail are fowd in Utah in a relatively narrow strip ot land
rumdng in a north-south direction through the center of the state.
The most extensive population areas occur in and around Provo" Salt
Lake, and Ogden, extending east into Morgan CountYo
Quail are found
less extensively in the southern portions of their range and are
often confined here to limited population areaso
The distribution of
quail as presently known is indicated on the accompanying map,
(figure 1)9 together with locations of recent quail introductions o
Quail distribution
!!!
Uintah CountYo
Uintah County!) in the north.,.,.
eastern section of the state9 is the general area where a major part
of the quail studies was made o
This county covers an area of 29 864$1640 acres and has 66$1809
acres of irrigated land 9 (United States Bureau of Census, 1951)0
Water for culinary use and irrigation is supplied by streams and
springs flowing out of the Uintah Mountains on the north"
Ashley Valley varies in elevation from h9800 feet to 5$1600 feet,9
and is the center of the county-lIe 10,9300 human population.
The average length of the growing season in Uintah County is 118
10
STATE
;>-------
I
UTAH
legend
I
•
~.
jl
---
a __
,Known Quai,l Are.s.
Recent Introductions.
--------- ----
.,.....,
~
I
OF
TOO
E
L E
---:;;;...
~--------
---
, , ' \ .
~'\
J U A' B
Figure 1. Distribution of California Quail in Utah, Fall 1951.
11
days.
The ammal snow depth ovel" a 28 year period averages 23.1
inches" and the annual rainfall is 9.11 inches.
Violent winds are
rare" although summer thunderstorms are cominon over the mountains.
These occasiqnally move easterly over the valley-a
The California Quail 11ve in and near the edge of cultivat ed
fields 3 and their distribution is influenced by agricultural
practices.
Agriculture in Uirltah County consists maiDly of irrigated
cereal crops and alfalfa.
Corn and miscellaneous garden crops" such
as potatoes 11 tomatoes" and others ar e grown for local consumption.
Straho~" EwingI'
and DemUngs (1924) estimate that 90 percent of the
emaJ.l graifta are spring planted.
for livestock.
Agriculture provides winter feed
Grazing of cultivated areas is common in late fall and
winter.
The topography in U1ntah County is characterized by the famed
Uintah Mountains on the north s with its gorge-=like canyons extending
southward to the valleys.
The agricultural areas predominantly are
limited to the more or less narrow stretch o:f irrigable land adjacent
to the rivers and streamso
The land has a general southeasterly
drainage toward Green River which cuts the county somewhat diagonally
from northeast to southwesto
The :fertile areas give way on the south-
east to desert areas much dissected with large erosion gullies.
The
desert vegetation is treeless9 with scant cover of low shadscale
(Atriplex sppo).9 sage (Artem.esia tridentata) J) and various grasses o
The quail area in Uintah County is not a continuous part of that
quail range at the :foot of the Wasatch Mountains.
Quail are found in
Uintah COuntY9 howeverS) in .the same general type of habitat and
elevation range as :found elsewhere in the stateo
Most of the
/2
E
f
,!""")
Uin 1ah Lounfy
Sca.le: I inch:: 9 miles
:r
'ihiferocks •
•
fi9ure 2.
.
Disfri bu+ion of Ca.lifornia
Ufah, Fall J /95/.
QUQiI /n
Uinta/'
CounfJ )
13
populations of quail are found at elevations from about 4,500 to 6,000
-teet above sea level (figure 2).
Uintah County does not constitute one of the most extensive quail
areas of the state (figure 1).
Quail distribution.!!!
ih!
stu~ ~.
The study area is located
near Ashley two and one-half miles north of the city of Vernal and
between one and two miles west.
The area is bounded on the south by"
the Ashley Creek which supplies a constant supply of fresh water to
this area.
A map of the study area, (figure 3) ~ has been prepared in overlay
form from aerial photographic mosiacs of the Soil Conservation Service.
The area is bounded on the north, east, and west by county roads.
Approximately 320 acres of land is included in the study area.
The
known coveys and their normal range have been indicated on the overlay
for reference o
The climate and general topography of the study area are similar
to that of the countyo
The place chosen for study is within the
agricultUral area of the valley; however$) because of its prox:i.mity to
the Ashley Creek and the lack of an excessive gradient of slope to
the
land~
a considerable amount of the area is grazed rather than
cultivated.
Water is plentiful in the study area$) producing an
abundance of cover and food plants attractive to quail&
Dry rocky
ridges covered with sagebrush add to the quail habitat o
The study
area represents some of the typical quail habitat of the stateo
"
....:.;; - ... ," \·1
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Area. )U;n+~h ·Co»
\~
tv't ..-_.
Scale ~ 8 iaches :; I m;/e.
--Fence
•
®
QtJod
brood
Covey rQnge
3·
A; o.Aliyafed Field
f:: Pasfure
B::: CoHonwoodJ bvllberry e/c..,
C=. willow s
F:= Orchard
G= A sh ley creek
H= Sa!Jebyush
D= Nqfrv e solfsrass
1n fe r S fer S ion
Sfudy
Q
,9r055
- - --
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quail dil:Jlribulion, ;~----ih~
and
or Ccover
of/nry raIl 195/#
reo, Uinfah
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15
POPULATION TRENDD AND CHARACTERISTICS
Spring counts, brood counts, and data on quail hunting provide
information which may be used in determining the trend of a quail
population.
The interpretation of factors influencing a quail
population depends upon a knowledge of population trends.
Pre-nesting spring counts
The field work of this study was begun in April 1950 following
successive severe winters (1948-1949 and 1949-1950).
Reports from
local landowners indicated that very few quail had survived the
winter of 1949-1950.
The winter of 1950-1951 was mild, which
resulted in good quail survival following the 1950 breeding season.
A total of 12 pairs of quail were report ed in the Ashley Valley
in the spring of 19500
Of these only six pairs were found by the
writer and they were scattered in areas from one to six miles apart.
It is possible that duplications may have been present in the reports
of quail.
The inventory of quail in the valley indicated that the
population was at an extreme low in the spring of 1950.
The 1951 pre-nesting counts made in the same areas as in 1950
resulted in the location of 12 pairs of quail.
This occurred in
spite of the complete removal by burning of, the habitat from one of
the better quail areas originallY under observation.
If a correct
sample of the birds present were counted each year» then the winter
survival of brood stock had increased b,y 100 percent over the
previous year {19S0)o
16
These population data present two points of interest in connection
with the factors affecting quail populations in Utah:
(1) the very small
population found at the beginning of the study appeared to be on the
increase» and (2) the small number of known potential breeders definiteq
requires a longer time for the population to increase to the density
expected during normal yearso
The numbers of quail surviving the winter of 1950-1951 in Ashley
Valley were small in comparison with the aoreage of' habitat.
estimate of
4,500
An
acres and six known pairs of quail would give a
calculated density of 750 acres per pair in the spring of 1950 (table 1).
This low density, however, is believed to be advantageous to the study,
since the factors influencing tha survival of the popUlation are more
evident under a condition of low numbers.
Brood counts
Pairing of quail occurs in early spring coveys just prior to the
t:ime the covey breaks upo
The weather appears to be the determining
factor controlling the time of year when pairs of quail leave the
and begin making preparations to nest o
COVf!!1'
In 1950 mating was observed as
early as April 11 in the quail held in a pen.
This observation
coincided quite closely with the breaking up of winter coveys of wild
birds under observation.
Pairs were
common~
seen before nesting was
begun,9 although prior to egg laying the original covey was observed to
reassemble in late evening and roost togethero
These observations
agree with those of Trippensee (1948) and with the work done in
California by Glading (1938a)0
Quail became very secretive in their actions as nesting activities
begano
Dense cover available to the few quail made observation
.
17
difficult.
No important mortality factors were observed during nesting,
however's> one nest was flooded by rising water in the nearby irrigation
canal.
Young quail were first observed about June 20~ 19S0.
However, they
were not observed in open areas where a count could be made.
very small scattered and
hiq
at the first sign of danger.
Quail when
Observations
of June 23, 1950 illustrate the general behavior pattern of a very young
quail brood.
A pair of adult quail were observed to move a,lowly through
cover of grass and clover in search of food.
The use of field glasses
assisted in locating young quail with the adults.
only as they
mo~.9
at any one time.
The young appeared
howeverjl no more than two young quail could be seen
Young quail momentarily appeared. :in different
locations s indicating that a brood of about eight young were present.
The young quail were estimated to be two to three weeks old.
Young quail five weeks old or older were nearly as d11'ficult to
count as were younger quail.
The constantly moving parents and the
nervous actions of the young made counts hard to get when the broods
were on open ground o
Several methods were tried to get counts of broods of YOtmg
quailo
Flushing the birds from low vegetation in which they were
feeding proved unsatisfactory since the young hid and efforts to
flush the entire brood were fut11eo
Glading (1941) and Fm1.en and Glading (1945) found in California
that quail census could easily be taken while riding a hor seo
This
method was found to be unserviceable in Utah$ since fences» canals»
and-heav,r cover strips prevented coverage of quail areas on horsebacko
Roads passed near most of the quail areas o
It was found that
18
quail broods could best be counted from an automobile by use of field
glasses.
Tbese counts were aided by a previous lmowledge of the
location of t he adult quail prior to nesting, and by the exact or
approximate location of their nests.
Quail brood counts could not be
satisfactorily made until the adult quail led their broods to the roads
or other open areas 1aoking vegetative cover.
The first complete quail brood counts in 1950 were made on June 30.
Young quail at this time were at least three weeks old with an average
of 7.7 young for four broods counted in 1950.
Counts were considered
complete when two or more census agreed as to the number of yOlUlg :in the
brood.
In addition» the observer had to feel confident in the accuracy
of the count before accepting it as complete.
The earliest complete brood census in 1951 was made on JUly 17
total of seven brooda of young were counted.
was calculated to be
Production.
7.4
G
A
The average brood in 1951
YOlDlg per brood.
Reproductive efforts in 1950 resulted in the production
of 31 young being counted&
Four pairs of adults with broods» plus two
pairs of adults on which brood data were not obtained» yielded a known
summer population '6f
43
quail observed in the area&
A count was made of 51 young in 19.51 plus the seven pairs of
adults with broods o
An additional five pairs of adults were in the
area" however» broods they may have had were not counted o
population in 1951 was 75 quail.
43 but
a
14
in 1951,V
The known
The population count ed in 1950 was
75 quail were known to be in the same areao This was
percent increase in 19.51 over 1950 :for the corresponding period
of time (table 2)0
A method often used to determine reproductive success is average
19
brood count compared to known adults.
In 1950 the brood average was
7.7 for the six pairs of adult quail counted in t he area.
yield a calc,ulated
46
young produced and with the adults there was
computed an early summer population of
Table 1.
These data
,8 quail.
Calculated habitat range in terms of acres per quail
pair from spring and summer counts, 1950-19,1.
Year
Season
Count ed number
of quail pairs
Estimated acreage
of quail habitat
1950
1951
1950
1951
March
March
July
July
6
12
6
12
4,,500
4,,500
4,500
4,500
43
75
105
60
Counted quail young
plus adults
Calculated habitat:
acres per quail pair
750
375
The average brood size in 1951 was found to be
7.4 young. Twelve
pairs of adults were counted in the same area that had been covered in
1950, and with the 89 young there was a calculated population of 113
quail or an increase of 95 percent over the computed population in
19.50 (table 3).
The rate of increase first considered (74 percent) is a minimum
estimate since only data on complete brood counts of young were used.
Uncounted broods were omitted from the minimum estimate of population
~crease
(table 2).
The rate of increase of 95 percent assumes the average brood size
of 7.7 in 1950 and 7 e4 in 1951 is representative of all the quail in
the study area e
The number of broods COl.mted each year is small" which
•
20
increases the possibility of error in the sample.
In addition, some
adults not observed may have been unsuccessful in nesting or in brood
rearing.
No observations were made of adult quail failing to raise
young although it is felt that this condition may exist, especially
when the population density increases.
We might conclude then" with
some reservation» that the rate of increase in the quail population
was perhaps between 74 percent and 95 percent in 1951 over 1950,
when based on early brood counts.
Quail broods observed throughout the summer showed losses in the
young.
One dead quail" estimated to be three and one-half weeks old,
was found in a dry irrigation ditch.
The specimen was somewhat dried
and no innnediate cause of death could be determined.
Table 2.
Minimum quail populations based on brood count data.
No.
Total no.
of adults
Total lmown
EOEulation
31
12
43
51
24
75
3
20
12
32
75
64
100
74
broods
counted
Average
brood size
1950
4
7.7
1951
7
7.4
Increase
%Increase
Total no.
of l01.Uli
Broods of quail were progressively recounted during the summer.
An average of two quail were observed to have been lost from each brood
from the age of about three weeks to the time when fall coveys began to
assemble o
No evidence is available on the cause of juvenile losses.
The largest brood counted during the study was 12 young.
Brood counts
prior to the initiation o.f the study suggested broods of from 17 to 22
21
were not too unconnnon.
The average clutch size of nests of quail in
other areas is reported by Glading (1938) to be 10.97 and by Grinnell,
Bryant, and storer (1918) to be 1406 eggs per clutch e
Broods of quail
in Utah were smaller than' might have been expectedo
Table 3.
COlUputed potential quail populations in Ashley Valley
based on mown adult pairs and average brood counts.
known number Average
computed
Number Calculated
;eaired guail brood count adults no. lOun~
EOEulation
1950
6
7.7
12
46
58
1951
12
7.4
24
89
113
6
12
43
55
100
100
94
95
Increase
%Increase
The rise in quail density that occurred during the study may be
visualized by the nlUO.ber of acres of habitat available per pair.
The
acreage of available quail habitat in Ashley Valley was estimated to
be
4,500
acres.
This would give a population density of one pair of
quail per 750 acres at the beginning of the study.
The reproduction
efforts in 1950 increased the population density of qUail and
resulted in a calculated 105 acres per quail paire
winter brood stock survival was high
and~
The following
together with
1951
reproductive efforts, the figures gave a calculated quail population
density of
60 acres of habitat per pair during the summer of 19.51,
(table 1)0
Roadside counts
Warden roadside counts have been made three times each year from
1949 through 1951e
The observed quail were tallied during these
countS,9 varying from no birds counted to as high as 6250
Some counties
22
showed an absence of data during some counts o
This occurrence may
well be due to the route taken since in all cases the routes were
established for counting pheasantso
Since quail habitat is limited
and quail populations were low!J it is to be expected that quail would
be missed on some of these routes.
Data appear more consistent for Morgan County than for arq of the
counties.
A definite reduction in quail numbers in Morgan County
appeared in 1950 (figure 4)0
This reduction in Morgan County agrees
with observations by the writer and the reports from all areas even
though the data are not complete enough in each county to be
demonstratable (table 4)0
Quail counts are incidental information and!J as such" are not
intended to be as
compl~te
or extensive as those made for pheasants.
Tne data on roadside counts!) together with field reports and
observations by the writer.}) substantiate the contention that
California Quail in Utah fluctuate in numbers o
Quail hunting r etUnlS
Quail in Utah are not an important bird from the sportsman 9 s
point-=of-viewa
There are a few hunters who know the sporting
quailties of t his game bird.
The quail htmting seasons for the
periods 1948 ....1951 have be'en opened in most areas of Utah where
hunting was feasible o
Occasional~
the season remained closed
following severe reductions in populations from heavy winters or
other decimating factors.
Game department p ersOllllel operated pheasant checking stations
in the Uintah Basin during the years 1948"",19.510
Data were collected
on quail at the same time since the quail season began with the
2010 -
200'lO-
aD70-
60$0-
40.30-
20-
10100-
'lo-
BOfO6Q-
so-
\Q
OJ
..........
'10('...
30-
a-
~
'-0
/~50
/15/
2010-
D-
I?'I-?
1949
/950
/751
April
Ociober
Fijure 'f Quail roadside counf in Morgan Coun&,
/799 - /95f.
24
Table
County
4.
Quail roadside counts made by' game wardens
in Utah, 1949-1951.
1948 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1950 1951 1951
Oct.
Carbon
Davis
Iron
Jan.
Apro
Oct.
168
8
77
7
14
17
14
Oct.
Jan.
Apr.
8
44
8
6
9
9
8
166
20
10
8
136
73
625
57
57
53
3
148
69
17
218
23
38
Salt Lake
9
7
53
Sevier
Summit
12
Uintah
Utah
1951
Nov.
3
Morgan
Sanpete
AEr.
4
Juab
Millard
Jan.
32
59
Wasatch
Wayne
152
Weber
107-
13
9
4
30
8
10
6
13
38
3
43
52
102
3
13
12
6
8
7
137
110
16
22
25
opening of the pheasant season and ran concurrently with ito
The
checking station personnel were able to record numbers, sex, and age of
quail taken by the hunters in the Uintah Basin.
In addition» quail
crops were collected" with the permission of the hunter,9 and these,
together with wing samples, made up a large part of the collections for
the food habits studies, and in supplying age ratio data.
A twofold purpose prompted efforts in securing data on quail taken
by hunters:'
(1) the possibility of over-hunting, which might be gauged
from checking station records, and (2) sex and age ratio data which
might indicate seasonal quail productivity.
The hunt during the fall of 1950 was held on Saturday afternoon
and Sunday of two week.... ends, November 11-12 and 18 ...19.
A total of 22
quail were examined at the three checking stations in the Uintah
In 1951 these checking stations were again maintained on
Basin.
November
Aging
3, 4, 5,
2f. quail.
and
6 where the personnel examined 27 quail.
The technique used to separate juveniles from
adults has been described by Emlen and Glading (1945) and Leopold
(1939), who followed the moulting pattern outlined by Dwig~t (1900)0
It consists essentially of noting the presence or absence of white
edges on the greater primary 'Wing coverts.
mottled appearance is characteristic
ot
The white edging and
juveniles g whereas only a
uniform coloration is typical of adults (figure 5)0
the outer two primaries has been unreliable in Utah o
also noted variations of this charactero
Pointedness of
Leopold (1939)
Spring observations indi~
cated juvenile characteristics were still present on primary wing
covert feathers of some quail that had survived the wintero
The 19 quail in the hunters U bag
26
Figure
5.
California Quail wings, (A). adult with uniform
coloration of primar,y wing coverts, (b). juvenile
wing showing mottled appearance of covert feathers
and white edges.
Figure 10.
Overhanging willow thicket which illustrates a
roosting site, Duchesne County, Utah.
21
on which complete age and sex data were available in 1950 indicated that
84
percent of all quail taken were juveniles.
Of the 26 quail examined
during the 1951 htmting season, the percentage of juveniles in the
hunters n bag was 81 percent a which indicates considerable similarity
between t he two years (table
5).
The sex ratio of fall quail populations was believed to have been
50 percent males since brood observations in late summer indicated
that the sex ratio of the young was equal.
However" less than half
(42 percent)' of the quail killed in 1950 were males" whereas in 1951
the kill of males increased to 61 percent
0
No explanation of this
difference is available beyond the possibility that sampling error may
have influenced the results.
Table
5.
Age and s ex ratios of California Quail killed by
hunters in the Uintah Basin, 1950-19510
Total
Number
Percent
2
3
15.8
7
9
16
84.2
8
11
19
Percent
4201
57~9
1951
Male
Female
4
1
5
1902
Juvenile
12
9
21
80 0 8
Total
.16
10
26
61 6
38 4
Male
Female
Adult
1
Juvenile
Total
1950
10000
Total
Adult
Percent
0
0
Number
Percent
100eO
o ':
28
The total number of quail on which age ratio data are available
prevents definite conclusions" however", assuming that the age ratio in
the bag is equal to the age ratio of our population" then these data
would indicate an
84
percent and 81 percent juvenile ratio for the two
years respectivelY.
If we refer again to early summer brood
count averages" we
may
compare the estimate of juvenile ratios (table 6).
Table 6.
Comparison of juvenile ratios from brood counts
and hunter bag Checks.
estimate
of young
Number
of
adults
Spring popu<=>
lation, young
plus adults
Percent
juvenile
1950
46
12
58
7903
84
1951
89
24
113
78.7
81
Spring
Juvenile
in bag
(percent)
We might assume that the percentage of juveniles in the hunters n
bag should coincide with spring juvenile ratios.
might alter the5e relationships:
A number of factors
(1) loss of adults because of age or
in the hazards associated with rearing young may reduce the number of
adults during the summer,!) which would increase the fall juvenile ratio"
(2) juvenile quail may be easier bagged by the htmter than adults, (3)
counts of spring broods were small. and were taken only il'l a limited
area", and therefore are subject to sampling errors.
It is interel9ting to note the similarity that exists in the age
ratio data" either when compared for the two years.? or between field
counts and killo
Percentages of juveniles based on brood counts were
very slightly lower in 1951 than in 19.50 0
The percentage of juveniles
29
in the hunters r bag is lower in 1951 than in 1950 0
This woUld suggest
that!J while study area brood count s were small» t hey appeared to follow
the same trend in juvenile ratio that the hunter bag check data do.
If' 80 percent of the harvest.bIe quail are juveniles, then it
follows that huntiag prospects may possibly be based on early summer
brood count data.
It has been noted that in 1950, 57.9 percent of the
kill was females arid in 1951", 38.4 percent females were ldlled (table
5).
This!) however, did not seem. to have reduced the brood stock
survival, based on pre=nesting brood,stock surveys.
Twelve pairs of
quail were observed in 1951 for an increase of' 100 percent over spring
brood stock survival :in 1950.
HjlDlting pressure.
Data have been taken on quail and pheasant
hunters in the Uintah Basin since 1948.
The hunting pressure has
increased each year in this area with the exception
of 1951.
In 1948,
17 quail were examined. The kill increased to 27 in 1951. The
hunting season was two and one-half days in 1948 and 1949 but was
extended to three days on .. split season of' one and one-half days each
in 195'0 'and three and one....half day:! in 1951» (table 7)0
The increased kill in 1951 appears to folloW' the increase in quail
populations which occurred in 1951 rather than being due to huntii'lg
pressure which decreased this same year o
The length of the season seems to be relatively ineffective as a
factor in the rmmber of quail killed» since 24 were taken in 1949
during a two and one-half day seasODa in contrast to 22 quail bagged in
1950 during .. three day split seasono
The kill figures appear to
follow population f1uctuatioD,9 since the number of hunters in the field
both years was
approx:i.lQ.~t ely
the sam eo
30
Ta.ble 7.
Number of quail examined at checldng stations
ill the Uintah Basin, utah, and length of Utah
quail seasons, 1948-1951.
Dates
Year
Quail examine<!
Leni!:h of s eaSOD
1948
17
2! days
Oct.
1949
24
2i days
Nov. 5, 6, 7
1950
22
1951
27
~lit-season
1
days each
3!
of
30, 31, Novo
1
Nove ll-12, 18-19
Nov. 3, 4" 5" 6
days
The hunter returns indicate that hunting the relatively small
populations of quail :in the Uintah Basin has not been a factor affecting
materially' their increase.
This agrees with Glading and Saarni
(1944)
who found in California t hat moderate hunting preseur e on the California
Quail was not a factor limiting t heir seed stock survival.
Dogs trained for pheasants occasiona1l1 flush quail out of the
heavy cover where they are normally found.
However" more often. hunters
and dogs will 'by-pass coveys of quail umnindful of their presence.
Even if the call of an alarmed quail is heard, the hunters do not take
:~l '
the time to flush the covey.
offering good
quai~
Quail populations fluctuate in Utah
hunting onlY during periods of high densities
(table 8).
ApproximatelY 100,000 potential quail hunters are in the field
hunting pheasants during the pheasant and quail hunting seasons o
fluctuations of quail populations in Utah appear
t~
The
reduce materially
the hunting pressure that might otherwise be present and to discourage
the development of quail hunting as a sport in utah o
A ten percent sample of the resident upland game bird htmters is
31
Table 80 Kill of quail as reported by a ten percent sample
of Utah upland game bird hunters, 1948-1951.
Countz
1948
~uaii
~
1949
Quail
~
1950
Quail
~
1951
~uai 1--..
2
.6
0
0
...
Carbon
'46
14.6
0
15
2Ow'2
10
Davis
18
5.7
0
18
26.8
18
Duchesne
36
ll.4
0
0
0
2
2.98
0
Cache
Emery'
0
-
~
0'
4
6.45
11.6
2.58
12
3.8
0
1
1.49
0
6
1.9
0
5
7.45
27
Salt Lake
23
7.2
0
0
Sanpete
13
4.1
0
3
Sevier
28
8.8
0
0
0
Summit
0
0
0
10
6.4,
U:lntah
60
19.0
3
1607
2
2.9
6
3.87
Utah
52
16.5
7
38.9
20
29.8
43
Millard
Morgan
W~e
0
Weber
18
S.7
7
1
.3
315
100.0
Mixed Counties
Total
4.47
6
3.87
6
3.87
0
2
38.9
0
16
1
5.5
1
18
100 0 0
67
0
1.49
100.0
17.4
7
155
25 0 8
1.29
10.3
4051
100 0 0
32
sent kill questio:rmaire cards each year by the Game Department in an
effort to determine hunter success.
These data indicate that Carbon"
Davis J) Morgan" Uintah" Utah" and Weber counties are the more important
areas of quail h1l1'1ting over the four year period. for which data are
available.
Most of the quail areas 1n Salt Lake C01.ttlty are closed to huntmg
because of the numerous homes in the quail range.
Hunting returns h
Duchesne County may be an evidence of wider fluctuations in quail
:n:mnbers due to adverse factors such as cover and weather.
The greatest return of quail to hunters on which we have data
appeared in 1948 when 315 quail were taken by 2,178 reporting lnmters.
The 1949 season resulted in a report of only 18 quail bagged, however,
an increase in 1950 to 67 quail and in 1951 to
155
quail shows a
general increase in the kill of quail following the 1949 minimum kill
(table
8). The decline in quail kill which occurred in 1949 is
believed to have been caused by the failure of quail brood stock to
survive the severe winter of 1948-1949.
Quail weights
Weight samples from trapped quail were taken whenever possibleo
Populations were low and» because of this» trapping operations were
discontinued during the summer in order to avoid the possibility of
killing t he young.
The critical survival period may well be indicated by the seasonal
weight fluctuations of quail.
In addition,9 records of quail weight
indicate what variation in weight might normally be expected.
The
weights of quail from other areas were obtained when possible for
comparison with quail weights in the Uintab Basin.
33
Juveall.e weight,o
An opport1mity was presented to obtain a small
amount of weight data
OD
.
known-aged yOlll1g quail.
.
(These young quail
were more or less hand raised alOJ1g with chukar partridges at the game
farm. )
No axtensive effort is made to raise quail at the game farm.
The quail
~aised
there were hatched from eggs laid by females coming
into breeding pens for food.
These young quail were weighed at every
Young males were heavier than the females every time
opportunit:r.
comparative weights were secured from two weeks to nirle weeks of age.
The average weight of a two week old quail was fOlmd to be 21.5 grams
and for a three week old quail 3$.$ grams.
The most rapid growth ill
weight occurred betweeJl the third and fourth week when the weight of
captive quail tripled.
This growth rate tapered off, resulting in
less rapid w,ight increases during the remainiBg weeks before the
quail reached adult sizes (table 9).
Table 9.
Source
Weights of California Quaii in grams for known
aged young (utah) 0
rem.
'Ell.
21
34
Bird Age 2 wke. Age 3 wke. Age h wks. Age 8 wks. Age 9 wks.
Hale
Ha.le
Hale
Hale Fem. Hale ,~
No.
24
Game Farm.
1
Game Farm
2
20
Wild Quail
3
...
Wild Quail
4
Average
-
rem.
140
106
-
37
94
136
l44.5 94
136
149
(la)
(43)
2"
2005
....
3505
106
(42)
Onl.y two young quail were wild trapped and we1ghedtt
were from the same brood aDd both males.
birds was made by use of
These birds
.AD estimate of age of these
m.oult.~ ~ries
as described, t9f .pheasants
34
by Buss (1946) and following t he moulting pattern described by Dwight
(1900.) for game birds.
This teclmique indicated that these birds were
about four weeks of age.
Their weights were
41 and 43 grams respectivelyo
By comparison with the foregoing table of weights$I the wild quail were
comparable in weight to the three week old known aged quail.
The semi-
domesticated birds are believed to be heavier than the wild quail.
Adult weightso
The pre....nesting weights of quail near the study area.
indicated that the cock weighed
than the hen, (table 10).
1.54.5 grams and was about 7 grams heavier
The rise in weight of the hen during April,
however" may be explained as a reaction brought about because of the egg
production period, because in Apri
than the cock.
The weight of the
the hen averaged
7.5
grams heavier
en is less in June as egg laying
tapers off and her weight nearly a proaches that of the cock.
rearing of young might be suspecte
The
as the cause of hen weight loss
during August with a subsequent we" ght increase as late fall approaches o
The peak in the weight of the hen
heaviest :in August when the averag
be 178 grams while the hen weight
ccurs in April while cocks appear
weight of the cock was observed to
:t. this time averaged 167 grams,
(figure 6).
Winter trapping operations supplied weights from other areas"
(table 11), which mdicated that the average adult male in Carbon
County weighed 225 grams and the adult female 216 grams.
The avera.ge
adult cock in Salt Lake County weighed 206 grams and the hen 190 grams!»
This is a weight difference of 19 grams for the cocks and 26 grams for
the hens of winter trapped adult quail in Carbon and Salt Lake counties ..
UnfortunateJy no winter weight data are available for the Uintah Basin.
It seems reasonable to suppose" however" that so far as the weight data
35
Table
Month
March
April
June
August
November
10. Weight in grams of California Quail trapped in
1950-1951 :in the Uintah Basin.
Average
Lightest Total
Average
Wei~ht
Wei~ht
Wei~ht
A~e
Sex
Adult
Male
21
198
131
3,244
154.5
Female
22
175
124
3,253
147.8
9
194
146
Female
13
187
157
Male
19
1.95
125
3,146
165.6
Female
15
203
106
2,529
168.6
Male
8
193
162
1,421
177.6
Female
3
184
152
500
166.7
Male
5
187
152
867
173.4
Female
3
191
150
516
Male
1.8
207
129
3,154
Female
20
189
117
3,335
Male
62
16402
Female
56
17009
Adult
Adult
Adult
Adult
'Juvs.
Average
Number Heaviest
Wei Shed Wei~ht
Adult
Adult
Male
118
19,,752
o Adu/f cf Game FQ,.m
220
}::( Adulf ~ Game Fvm
Juv• t:1 /4Qme fQrm
210
>(Jw. ? GI/me
FQrm
0AJillf cI' SQ ULQke
zoo
;.~J"". ? SaIl Lo.ke
U)
180
~
(Ji
L..
<.:J
;'
.~
'"'
-...c:::
I
"
I
170
.......
I
I
.~
,
,
I
~
I
I
I
}60
Adul+ ~
I
I
ISO
i
.Jan.
hgure 6
Adulf'l
,I
I
Mar-
I 'j
Ap"
Va riafions
In
1
June
wei9ht oF Ashley
1
Aug,
I
Nov-
Va /Jey Quail) /950-/~5/
37
are concerned» the late winter weather may find quail in their most
This would suggest that the winter weather
critical weight condition"
may possibly be one of the important factors limiting the populations
of quail in the Uintah Basino
Table 110 Weight in grams of California Quail trapped in
Salt Lake and Carbon COlmties.1) Utah s 1951.
i
Month
Age
Sex
Number
Average
Heaviest Lightest Total
Weight
Weight Weight
vleif3hed Weight
~alt L~e ~oun~l ~ i:ft Cottonwood Canyon)
January
Adult
Juv.
Male
4
208
204
824
206 0 0
Female
4
204
170
761
19003
Hue
8
213
181
19.575
196.8
Female
6
202
167
1.,103
183 8
Male
23
256
197
5$187
22505'
Female
15
245
192
3",239
21509
Male
32
243
177
6 09 912
216 0 0
Female
25
230
163
59 199
20709
0
Carbon Coetz tat Game 'arm)
January
Adult
Juv.
It is entirely unreasonable to suppose" on the basis of weight
samples presentedD that averages from birds trapped at the Game Farm and
at Salt Lake City are comparable with data from the Uintah Basino
Weight
. data alcm8 are of limited value in determining critical survival period:!!
when it is not mown what weight fluctuations normally occur in quail o
Errington (1931) presents data» however~ whiCh indicate that severe
losses may be expected if more food isnnt made available when the weight
38
loss of bobwhites reach 30 percent of the weight of the same birds in
good flesh condition.
The weight of 118 adult quail weighed in the Uintah Basin averaged
167.4 gramSet This is 3.6 grams less than an average of 80 cp. ail on
which weights were reported by Woodbury, Cottam, and Sugden (1mpublished
manuscript) 0
If we apply weight loss data to average Uintah Basin quail
weights b then quail would be expected to be in serious flesh condition
when reaching an average of 11.7 grams or le5s.
Uintah Basin quail: weights in March averaged
and
147 grams for the female.
154
grams for the male
This represents a weight loss of 10 per-
cent of the average weight of the adult and does not appear to have been
severe.
Transplanting
A factor influencing the distribution of quail populations is the
introductions and transplantings which have been made.
Specific data
appear tmavailable on early introductions but" as referred to earlier"
undoubtedly it has resulted in the release of both the California Quail
(Lophortyx californica brunnescens) and the Valley Quail
(!!o,2,. ealifornica) into Utah.
Quail have been frectuently trapped from concentrated areas in or
near Salt Lake, Ogden" Provo ~ and occasionally elsewhere during winter
months when their numbers became excessive in areas that could not be
hunted.
These birds have been released. to support other small and
'lmstable groups of quail in less favorable areas.
Quail have been transplanted into eight counties in Utah during
the stuqy period~ (table 12)0
39
Table 12.
Transplants of California Quail during the
period of stuqy, 1950-1952.
Number of quail released
Area
Date released
1952
Cache County
22
January,
Grand County
42
February 10,9 1952
Iron County
28
April"
Kane County
51
February 279 1951
San Juan County
40
February 10" 1952
Sanpete County
6
Februar.y 279 1951
Sevier County
52
Uintah County
100
1950
43 1951
February
March
28,l) 1950
Quail were not present in the following counties prior to release
made during the period of this study:
Kane, Grand, and San Juan.
Transplanted quail are surviving in Kane, Iron,?
counties.
Sanpete~
and Uintah
Reports indicate that Kane County had good reproduction,v
although survival through the winter will be a greater measure of
their success in establishing themselves o
Other releases have been too
recent to determine the results.
Natural spreading
The status of the California Quail cannot be fully understood
unless it is known whether the populations have increased their range.
Accordingly., a fal1 survey was made to determine the potential
expanSion of their range o
Quail were reported to be spreading in only four of the 17
counties in which known coveys existed.
The increase in range was
reported arol.md the densest of the quail populations in Morgan,9 Utah.,
40
Salt LakeJ) and Smnmit counties.
Coverts formerly supporting quail have
again become frequented by the birds.
Only:in utah County have quail
been observed in entirely new areas.
A comparison of the probable range of quail in 1951 with the
probable range as outlined by Popov (1949) indicates that little
spreading has occurred over the three year period.
The fluctuations in
quail :numbers observed during the period of this study appear to be the
result of weather and factors of the quail habitat rath~ than an
increase in the normal distribution of the bird.
QUAIL FOOD HABITS
Studies of the foods of the California Quail have been made by
Sumner (1935) and Glading" Biswell, and Smith (1940) which have
assisted materially in the understanding of problems relating to the
quail in California.
Since plant associations in utah differ from those
found in the birdus native range, a food habits study was made as a part
of this project.
It is perhaps even more important that Utah quail food
preferences were studied for possible food deficienc,y periods that may
be of importance in connection l'rl.th their survival or increase.
A total of
40 crops was analyzed
include samples which were emptYe
in this study.
These do not
A majority of the crops was collected
during hunter bag checks in the fall.
A breakdown of numbers studied
and dates collected is indicated in Table 13.
Table 13.
Mq
Year
Hale
The crops of quail by sex and date of collection,
Uintah Basin, Utah, 1949-1951.
Fem.
June
Male
July
1949
1950
Male
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
Fem.
Total
4
2
1
19,1
Total.
November
Feme
2
4
6
11
13
9
25
17
40
The quail population was not high enough to justify taking speci....
mens for food habits studies.
The crops included during sunnner months
42
were taken from road killso
The crop contents when collected were placed in a solution of
approximatelY 70 percent alcohol in two ounce bottlese
Each crop was
labeled for reference and the analysis of foods was made as time
·permittede
A tota.l volmne of 108 cc of food contents was separated.
One
species of seed belonging to the family Compositae was found to occur
in
17 percent of the crops studied, and made up 1.6 percent of the
total volume of food eaten.
It ha.s not been possible to identify
further this particular food.
A total of
24 species of plants made up the major part of the
volume of foods eateno
This information would indicate that five
species of plants amounted to 78 percent of the volume of food eaten
by quail.
The species are::
bullberry (Elaeagnus argentea), wheat
(Triticum sPP.)s clover (Melilotus sPPo), alfalfa (Medicago sativa),
tumbleweed (Sals01& kali), and wild oats (Avena fatua).
Bullberry ranks number one in supplying 26 percent of the total
volume of foods eaten.
Wheat supplied 23 percent of the volume and a
combination of clover and alfalfa provided
14 percento
other species
of plants which were taken as food consisted mostlY of weed species o
These normally grow in waste places and along field borders o
The
seeds of clover and alfalfa were not separated in this food habits
work.
Both
w~re
eaten readilyo
Clover appeared in greater quantities,
most likelY beoause of its abundance over a longer period of time,
(table 14).
From these data.!) we conclude that the California Quail in the
Uintah Basin are predominantly seed eaters,!} at least in the fall of the
43
Table 14.
Volume in. co of food species eaten by California
Quai13 Uintah Basin, Utah, 1950-1951.
Plant Species
Bullberry seed
(E1aea~us argentea)
Wheat se
(Triticum spp.)
Alfalfa and clover seed
(Melilotus & Medicago sPp.)
Tumbleweed seed (SaJ.sola kali)
Wild oats seed (Avena tatii)
Purple bee nower
(Cleome serrulata)
Misc. plant fibre
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Black amber-cane
Milkweed (Ascl~ias speciosa)
Cira0sitae Ctmidentified)
A alta and clover leaves
Misc. seed
crops
1950
25 crops
19,1
Vol. cc
Total
18.6 cc
10.01 cc
9.9
28e61 cc
25e2
26.49
23e33
15.8
14.63
7031
6.85
14
15.3
,.,5.7
12.0
o~6
0.6
1.9
...
1.6
1.2
0.8
104
Milo Maize
Geum (Geum ciliata)
Wild millet ( Setaria viridis)
Wild buckwheat
(Po onum convolvuvus)
(Po gonum spp.)
Squa ush (Rhus trilobata)
Ladies thumb» Knotweed
(PolYgonum aviculare)
(,E. persicaria)
Marsh elder ( Iva xanthifolia)
Witchgrass (Panicum capillare)
Grass seed (1midentified)
Barley (Hord-eum vulgare)
Pigweed -
(Amaranthus retrof1exus)
Lambs quarters
(Chenopodium album)
(Poiemoniaceae)
Panic grass CPanicum spp.)
Squawbush hulls
(Rhus trilobata)
MisC:-Seed hUlls
Insect pupae
Ants (Formica spPo)
Misc. insects
Total
0.9
0.9
3.8
2.4
7.9
1.7
7.4
2.5
1.8
0.2,
2.1
0.2
0.56
0 9
3.1
0
T
1.2
0.2
2.4
2.15
2.1
1.8
1.76
1.7
1.4
1.2
1.1
2.87
2.22
1099
1.95
1.67
1.63
1.57
1.30
1.11
1.02
0.88
0.95
0.6
0.3
Oe3
0.6
0.3
003
0.56
0.19
0.19
0.1
002
T
0.2
0.2
T
T
0.1
0.05
Oe2
00 1
0.05
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
0 01
Dol
T
T
T
T
104
104
T
T
68.9
Volume
0.0,
0.1
0.2
-
%Total
39012
108 002
0.28
Oe 28
0 019
0009
0 0 09
1..30
100.00
44
year
This agrees well with Sumner (1935) who found the fall food
0
habits in California to be mainlr seeds o
The food species are listed in Table 15 according to the frequency
with which they appeared in the crops.
Clover and
alfalfa~
tumbleweed"
and wheat seed appeared again among the first fi va species of plants
listed.
Clover and alfalfa occurred in 77 percent of the orops3 tumble-
weed in 62 peroent, wheat, millet, and bullberry occurred in 37, 30" and
30 percent of the crops. This would indicate that these plants were
more universally present over the range and were found acceptable by' the
majority of
quail~
A list of food species according to the numbers taken showed that
clover!) tumbleweed, wheat, and bullberry were among the five most
important species utilized so far as numbers taken are concerned o
Clover and alfalfa made up
40
percent of the total numbers of seeds
eaten while tumbleweed amounted to 20 percent" Other species of plants
~ppeared
less important from the point of view of numbers eaten,
(table 16).
An analysis of foods, considering volume, numbers taken, and their
oocurrenoe in orops of quail indicated that clover and alfalfa seeds
are major fall food items of quail in the Uintah Basino
Tumbleweed"
bullberry $J and wheat follow close as stable foods of quail.
These
seeds are most often abundant, being produced by the plants in large
numberse
An effort was made to list the important plant species observed
on the study area.
The incomplete list was prepared during a short
period of time and inoluded
34
plant species o
From this list of plant
species observed on the areas 12 species are represented in the quail
45
Table
15. ,Occurrence of food species for 40 California
Quail
Crops~
Uintah Basin, Utah, 19,0-19,1.
Plant Species
Clover andalfalta seed
(Melilotus & Medicago spp.)
Tumbleweed (Sa1so1a kali)
:Misc. plant fibre Wheat seed (Triticum sPpoJ
Wild' millet (Setaria viridis)
Bul1berry se ed
(Elaeagnus argentea)
Unidentified seed
Misc o seed
1950
14 CroEs
Crops
!£
78.6
Ants (Formica sPP.)
Alfalfa and clover leaves
Buckwheat seed
(Pollgonum convolvuvus)
Ladies thumb
(Pollgonum persicaria)
Black amber cane
(Polemoniaceae spp.)
Squawbush seed (Rhus trilobata)
Panic grass seed~riicum spp 0)
Insect pupae
Barley seed
(Hordeum vulgare)
Milo Maize
Misco seed hulls
Squawbush hulls
(~ trilobata)
26 CroEs
Crops
~
Total
40 CroEs
~rops
~
76.9
69.0
31
9
38.4
33.6
30.7
15
12
77.50
62.50
45.00
37.50
30000
9
10
12
30.00
4
33.6
38.4
15.4
11 ,27.50
7
21.4
701
50.0
3
21.4
6
23.0
3
3
21.4
21.4
28.6
21.4
21.4
28.6
11
7
8
6
4
3
1
50.0
57.1
42.9
28.6
Milkweed seed
(Asclepias speciosa)
Pigweed 'seed
(Amaranthus retroflexus)
Canpositae (unidentified)
Sunflower (Helianthus armuus)
Geum (Geum ciliata)
.
Marsh-eider (Iva xanthifolia)
Witchgrass (Panicum capillare)
Lambs quarters
(Chenopodium album)
Rhotweed (Polygonum aviculare)
Misc. animal material
Purple bee flower
(Cleome serrulata)
Misc. grass seed
Wild oats seed (Avena fatua)
~"1951
4
3
3
4
1
1
701
701
28 0 6
3
1
2104
7.1
14.3
4
2
4
1
1
2
1
28.6
7.1
701
20
18
10
8
18
11
27.50
9
22050
20 000
17050
17.50
17.50
12.50
12.50
19.4
8
4
15.4
7
4
15.4
7
5
3
li.S
7
7.7
1
308
.5
.5
3
11.5
4
4
4
10.00
1
3.8
3
1l.4
4
4
4
4
10 0 00
10000
10.00
10000
10.00
7050
2
3
11.5
2
7.7
3
11.,
3
1105
3
2
7.7
7.7
3
2
2
7.7
2
1
1
308
1
1
3.8
3.8
1
1
14.3
7.1
25
4
2
2
10.00
10000
7050
5.0
5~o
500
20,
205
1
3.8
1
205
205
20,
1
3.8
1
2.5
1
46
Table 16.
Numbers of seeds eaten j as indicated 3 from 40
crops of quail,t) Uintah Basin, Utah,? 1950-19510
Plant Species
Alfalfa and clover seed
(Melilotus & Medicago BPPo)
Tumbleweed CSalsola kali)
Bullberry seed
(Elaeagnus argentea)
Wild millet (Setaria viridis)
Unidentified seed
Wheat seed (Triticum spp.)'
Compositae (Unidentified)
Purple bee flower
(Cleome serrulata)
Geum (Geum ciJ:iata)
Sunflower(Helianthus annuus)
Witchgrass (Panicum. capillare)
Oats (Avena fatua)
Marsh elder
(Iva xanthifo1ia)
BlaCKamber cane
Misc o seed
Buckwheat (polygonum spp.)
Milkweed (Asc1epiaa-speciosa)
Knotweed
(Polygonum aviculare)
Number of seeds eaten
19501951
!Ii crops
~5 croEs
2,,660
Total
P-ercent
3,913
40.37
892
1,,253
1,,075
1,967
497
375
267
60
435
4.49
3
250
422
411
272
4.24
254
161
18
764
425
20 0 29
7.88
4038
2 081
43
171
135
67
214
202
2.2
2.08
124
129
19
143
29
130
100
1.48
1.34
1.03
4
70
65
24
63
0.72
0.67
0.66
63
38
22
60
0.65
0.62
1
51
52
0054
Amaranthus retroflexus)
18
34
52
0.54
(ChenllodiUlll album)
Ladies t umb
(PolYionum persiearia)
Milo Mal.ze
Grass seed
Panic grass (Panicum. sPp.)
9
31
40
0.42
25
,38
11
32
11
0.39
0 • .33
0&11
0.05
0.01
Pi~eed
Lambs quarters
Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Squawbush
(Rhus trilobata)
(PoIemOniaceae spp&)
Ants (Formicidae)
Beetle (Coleoptera)
Insect pupae
71
66
40
13
1
65
32
5
5
1
57
78
64
8
14
7
1
57
0.08
0.59
92
0.95
7
8
1
1
0.07
0.01
Total
9,,694
100.01
47
foods found by an analYsis of crops.
occur on the study area were:
The quail food species found to
clover (Melilotus spp.) ~ alfalfa
(Medicago sativa) J) tumbleweed (Salsola ~).l' bullberry (Elaeagnus
argentea)9 squawbush (Rhus trilobata), milkweed (Asclepias speciosa),
marsh elder (Iva xanthifolia)3 lambs quarters (Chenopodium album),
s1Ulflower (Helianthus annuus):J pigweed (Arnaranthus retroflexus),
lmotweed (Polygonum aviculare):J and purple bee flower (Cleome
serrulata).
This list failed to include wheat (Triticum spp.)" wild
millet (Setaria viridis)~ wild oats (Avena fatua)~ and barle,y (Hord~um
vulgare) 1) plus some of the various species of knotweeds (Polygonum
spp.).
Most of these species have relatively universal distribution
within the valley and are not uncOIlmlon in many other parts of utah.
Sumner
California.
(1935)
lists 92 species of plants utilized b.Y quail in
Seven of these species are present on the study area.
All seven were represented in the foods of the Uintah Basin quail.
This would suggest that quail in Utah prefer t he same foods as are
utilized in California within the known limits of their choice o
Bu~lberry
September.
and squawbush ripen and drop to the ground usually in
This characteristic makes these foods available onlY far
relatively short periods
0
f time in the fall o
The variety of weed seeds eaten by quail makes foods readily
available to quail during the summer!)
Quail were observed to utilize a wide variety of foods bu't winter
snows rapidly made all of their major foods 'unavailable except the
tumbleweed seedo
This forced quail in winter to utilize more of the
weed seeds~ (Chenopodium: Amaranthus~ Iva~ etco)o
unavailable,9 however.lJ as winter became severeo
These$ too~ became
48
Quail in the Uintah Basin fed in and around livestock feed
yards~
and often became coprophageous in winter as foods became hard to find o
Trampling of snow by livestock·perrnitted the quail to move upon the
ground in search of food.
The presence of green leafy foods occurred in 10 percent of the
crops.
Clover and a small amount of alfalfa leaves and miscellaneous
blades of grass were found to be the major species supplying this need.
Green foods are doubtless more important during early spring and
summer months to supplY possible Vitamin A needs of nesting pairs.
Insect foods played a small part in the fall foods of quail and
occurred only as traces.
The data indicated that the 205 percent of
insect material occurred only in summer crop samples.
This observation
agrees with Sumner (1935) and Glading,9 Biswell!) and Smith
(19L~0)
who
found in California that insects were more important in the food of
quail in the lat e spring and sunnner months.
The variety of foods eaten may be an important factor in quail
survival.
No data known to the writer have dealt with the possible
necessity for food variety in a quail diet.
In view of the numerous
species represented in their diet9 and the extremelY small size that
is characteristic of some of the weed seeds
eaten~
it would seem
possible that variety is a necessity in the diet of quailo
\\
49
QUAIL IN RELATION TO WEATHER
The northern limits of the native range of quail are determined b,y
the heavy snows and the winter weather (Sumner!) 1935)&
The present
trend in making evaluations of climate in anticipation of introducing
game birds is to compare the climate of the proposed introduction area
with that of the native range of the bird by means of comparing
hythergraphs 1 of each area o
especiall1 as concerns winter
ShoUld these hythergraphs coincide closely,
weather~
nesting season, and other
critical periods!! then the climate might be expected to favor the
proposed introduction (Twome,y9 1936)&
A better understanding of the
conditions under which quail Iive in Ut ah may be had in making some
comparisons between the weather in Utah with that of their native range o
Weather records were consulted and hythergraphs drawn for Salt Lake
•
and Vernal.
Utah has less seasonal variation in preCipitation than
their native California ranges never exceeding a
of 201
inches~
month~
preCipitation
which normally occurs in the period March to May.
California has areas whicha in December to March.\) may expect
precipitation as high as 505 inches.
This is observed to be more than
twice the maximum monthly average in Utah o
It appears that weather in Utah can adverselY influence quail& We
must be
cautiou5~
however 9 in adhering strictlY to hythergraphe alone as
an estimate or comparison of climate o
1..
In their native range quail have
The hythergraph is a graphic means of evaluating climate by plotting
average temperature against average precipitation for each month of
the year . .
50
exhibited abilities to withstand variations in habitat and climateo
A
composite hythergraph has been prepared of the extremes only of a
number of superimposed hythergraphs from various extremes of weather
from a number of widely scattered localities within their native range,
7)0
(figure
This composite is an indication of the variation in climate
in which quail might be anticipated to survive o
The hythergraphs of Utah climate coincide fairly close with similar
data in California during the nesting,» hatching,!) and young rearing
periods
They are, however,!) at extreme variance during the critical
0
winter period.
Hythergraphs may be misleadingJ) however.l) since averages of rainfall
and temperature are used o
For
~ample.9
normally unexpected cold, damp
weather during the hatching season may be a serious decimating factor
during a particular year$) yet by averaging nesting weather data over a
period of years» this characteristic would not be shown on the hyther=
graph 0
Accordingly" the lowest temperatures recorded for the winter
months are presented for comparison of two Utah areas along with similar
data from the type localities in the native range of quail~ (figure 8)0
It appears that the minimum winter temperatures which were observed to
go as low as
~29
degrees in 1950=1951 may be expected to be critical for
quail survival in Utah o
There nOrn1ally is no snow during winter months in the type
localities of quail,9 whereas deep snow is characteristic of winters in
utah 0
In
1949=1950 snowfall of 18 2 inches during January. was recorded o
0
Superimposed on the graph presented in Figure 8 is the snow depth
averages of the two Utah areas over a 28 and
56
year period o
From a.
combination of minimum temperatures and snow depth» the season from
/
<~
"
""
"
""
" "-
"
3
Legend
I
!3
J
,35'-
I
,
,
I
l.~ Jut! e
Sail Lo.ke
,-Ju l,y
J- JQnIJOYj/
/',
2J-
I
Febrvol'j'
March
4· Aw,i/
sMay
/
/
Verno. I
1
I
&AlJgv51
r; September
to-October
/1- November'
12- December
I
I
I
I
250-
I
I
O.S
{Ie
I
1
v
1\
12.(
-
,
\
--!of
/·5
1-0
Fi3ure
7
2·0
f' II
Inches .2 .S.'Ra;nrQ
3·0
3·5
Temperature and rainfall hyfhe,,!)JI'QPhs of2Ufah 9 uail
areQS
w'rll,
Q
compos; fe trom 13 locol/lies i/) ';he flQ/ive [Q/il'ol'l1ia. Qt/Qi I Tan 9 e.
-"--------_t_
t)
Gl
co
"'
(\)
Cb
Cfl
zo-
'--
----
;;i
~n.
~ rem r erol"7'
~
"-
0-
"'"
-......
~
::::r-III
lr,
/
~
.....
fb
""A/ /
- zo-
/
-40-
y/
(;)
-6
/
/
<.:::
/
/
----------
~
(")
/
I:)
:)
0
~
~
'''-------------'\
Legend.
Verna!
/
-- -
\
-
SolfLQke
San Fmncisco ~-~~~ ---Monferey
I
Nov-
Fiaure 8
-8
/
1
Dec.·
Average minimum temperafores
I
Jafl.
\-snowfa/l"-
---I
feb-
\
I
Mar·
~
I
Apr-
........
------,
..........
I
May
-0
anci maximum snowfall comparison be/ween qua;1 ranges in /lloh Qnd California-
i;;
53
November to about March
15
in normal years can be considered critical
for quail survival in Utah.
However, here again, we
ar~
using averages.
This means that we should expect considerable losses of quail during
winters that are more severe than normal.
Tribe
(1937) recorded observations
in Utah of quail frozen in good "'-1
l
flesh and with full crops following extreme sub-zero temperatures.
The
snow depth data over the years indic'at e deeper snows in Salt Lake than
in Vernal} but minimum temperatures are more severe in Vernal than in
Salt Lake 9 (figUre 9).
In
1949-1950 the heavy snowfall in Deeember-
January resulted in more snow on the ground in Vernal than in Salt Lake.
This unusually deep snow and cold weather at Vernal shows (1) the
unpredictable weather in Vernal, and (2) a. probable reason for the
extremely small population of quail in Vernal.
Data on weather comparisons suggest that quail in northern and
oentral utah are probably living near the limit to their tolerance of
winter olimate •
•
/'
/'
....
"-
20-
Tempero.t""e \.
,
\.
,/
,
,/
,/
\.
/'
\.
'. --
,
/
\.
,
/
/
\.
\.
.I
.I
/
\.
;-- --. -
-26
/
,
'\
10-
-28
/
I
-24
/
\.
'\
/
,
/
_22
/
\
0-
-2.0
\
t:J
~
I
<1>
(l)
en
-/8
I
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~
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-/0-
-/6
I
01
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~
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m
~
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~
en
-20-
-/2
I
'"
.....-.
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:::,
0
~
I
-/0
c::
~
"-T
Cb
-30-
- 8
I
f
- 6
SnowrQl1
Vernol
SoH Lake --- __
....
-.-if
-2
oir.
/9'/-9
. n!}ure
9
I
Nov.
I
Dec·
JQn.
/?'f9
/950
I
feb.
I
Mlr.
-()
April
1150
Minimum femperafure and mqximum snowfall, Vernal and Sa/-l Loke 1/949-/950·
~.
~
S5
HABITAT PREFERENCFS
Earlier studies have outlined the specific habits and life
histories of most species of our game.
More recent studies of our
wildlife have been concerned with the enviromnent in which our game
must live inetead of the characteristics of the game itself.
However~
both are important factors which need to be understood in order to
appreciate the critical factors influencing and possibly controlling
their numbers.
The habitat of quail in Uta.h is a close approximation to the
habitat in which quail were found in California.
Because of the general
topography of Utah, along with its climate and weather" the amount of
habitat found acceptable by quail is definitely limited to a small
fraction of the total acreage.
A better appreciation of the quail habitat in Utah may be gained
in a more intimate consideration of the species of plants used and
apparently required .by the bird.
This will include growth
characteristics which are found to be acceptable s prefer.red~ or avoided.
Quail cover
Sunmer (1935).9 llilen and Glading (1945)~ and others have subdivided
the cover requirements of quail into (1) feeding, (2) roosting~ (3)
escape,
(4)
reBting~ and
(5)
nesting covero
The following discussion
, proposes to consider the cover types separately 9 followed by an over-all
evaluation of quail habitatG
Rooeting covero
Roosting cover was observed to be an important part
r' (,' ': J"
"I' ,',
56
( : ",' "
of the habitat requirements of quail in the area studied.
A review of
field notes of observed roosting habits indicate that most of the
roosting cover of quail consiets of dense willow thickets or the
combination of willow (Salix app.)>> alder (Alnus epP.)!l and birch
(Betula spp.).
Cottonwood trees (Populus spp.) were also connnonly
used aS,roosting cover and were often associated with patches of
willoW's 0
Three pairs of quail provided ideal conditions for a study of
roosting habits.
These birds were known to be using a cover area which
consisted of a fencerow delimiting a property boundary, beyond which
was a canal about 12 feet wide and six to eight feet deep rmming the
full length of the fence» and adjacent to a dirt access road.
canal and fence were overgrown mainly with willows.
The
Weeds were
abundant next to the willows and interspersed among the willows where
the latter had not grown too abundantlYo
Six cottonwood trees were growing within the cover area most used
by the quail.
The trees were about
35
to
40
feet higho
Quail used
the tangle of sucker-like dea.d limbs which still remained attached in
a cluster-"like fa.shion to the tree trunk of these cottonwood trees.
This typical cluster of dead 1:iJnbs is characteristically formed about
six to eight feet above the ground.
The quail in this area were
observed going to roos'c mallY times.
Normally they would walk along
the top fence pole in the late evening e
After looking cautiously
about for a time, a short flight carried them one at a time to the
outermost branches of the cottonwood tangle.
The birds then jwnped
from limb to limb D and eventuallY settled down for the night near the
trunk of the tree.
Quail~
thus roosting» could not be reached by
57
anything their own size or larger without the noisy rattle of dead
limbs o
The cottonwood cover was found to be a chosen spring and late
summer roosting site for
~
quail under observation.
cover provided a horizontal perch for roosting.
This roosting
In addition» the birds
were out of sight under most light conditions from above» below.!) and
from the side.
This cover seemed to offer adequate protection from
winged and ground running predators It
The willows chosen as roosting sites were characteristicallY old
growths and bent over:y arch-like ~ generally providing horizontal
perching sites on the limbs near the apex of the arch, (figure 10).
Willows bent over ,in this fashion are commonly so dense that they will
support the weight of a man.
branches out of sighto
Quail were found to roost within these
Willow cover of this nature provides a roost for
quail two to four feet above the ground.
Observations of this study'
agree with Baker (1940) who found that older growths of cover were more
attractive to bobwhite qua.il in winter than yotmger cover.
Wintering quail were most often found in Utah in the dense overhanging willows.
The cover was frequently so thick that it was
necessar,y for the birds to wedge their way into a perch for roosting.
This provided an unbroken mantle of snow overhead.
In many cases the
cover was located in a canal or other depression which further
protected the quail from winter winds o
Willows were the dominant
species of winter cover used by quailo
OccasionallY vines and roses
were associated with willows in the winter quail cover.
been observed to offer roosting cover in some locationso
Conifers have
These
occurred less extensivelY and provided the same roosting features
",
58
An interesting variation in roosting cover consisted
referred to above o
of a dense willow patch which lacked the
bent~over
or arch-shaped covero
Instead, t he willows were covered by a dense network of vines (Clematis
sppo) in which quail habituallY roosted o
Quail used onlY the densest cover for winter roosting, apparentlY
avoiding as much of the direct effect of the weather as possible o
Quail were not observed
to
be using the cottonwood type of roosting
cover in any- instance in winter weather
0
During extreme weather
conditions quail were lmown to have roost ed in t he interior of
unoccupied buildings o
E!scape covero
Many types of cover tangles will supply the escape
cover needs for quailo
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the general
characteristics of plants which are preferred qy quail for escape cover
in the Uintah Basin o
Bullberry (Elaeagnus argentea) is an example of
available fall food~ (figure 13)0
However» this plant species is known
also to provide escape cover when other better cover is lacking.
The speCies of plants are relatively unimportant in supplying
eecape cover for quaile
The best and most effective escape cover
plants were those offering numerous small sized branches in the for.m of
a dense thicket or tangleo
The cover must be close at hand when needed o
Escape cover near feeding and dusting areas was found to be most
used~
A .pile of tree limbs against a fence or in a small rocky portion of
land wafS readily accepted by quail because of its proximity to their
exposed feeding areas o
Resting
c~vero
Resting cover for quail appeared in the Uintah Basin
,to present no particular problem.
Wherever resting quail were observed
they were found with some degree of overhead covero
Often this need
59
Figure ll.
Figure 12.
Brush-pile used as escape cover by California
'Quail in the study areaJ Uintah BasinJ Utah.
Brush-pile used as escape cover" study area"
Uintah Basin" Utah.
60
Figure 13. A quail food plant, Bullberry (El.aea;us arlentea),
much used. for roosting cover in tllentall asiri,
Utah.
Figure
14.
Typical quail feeding
Uintah Basin, utah.
and resting
area.
Study area,
---
---------------------------------------------------------~
61
was fulfilled by sagebrush areas which were open and dry enough to
permit the quail to dust or sun themselveso
Occasionally the edges of
escape and roosting cover areas were utilized for this purposeo
One
observation was made of a small weed patch which was used regularJJr by'
quail as both a feeding and a resting area, (figure 14)0
Some variations were noted in resting cover choices which appeared
somewhat puzzling at the outset of the stuqyo
Instances were noted
when quail sought shade under which to rest, at other times a secluded
sunny' spot was preferredo
Subsequent observations indicated that quail
were mostly loafingo
The resting period appeared to be a semi ....ina.ctive
period between meals.
Their choice of cover at this time seemed to be
a matter of convenienceo
The resting cover use is altered in the Uintah Basin at the onset
of winter snows o
A change in habits of quail occurs at this time o The
roosting" resting» and escape cover quite frequently become one and the
same for the wintering coveyo
inclement weather.
Quail normally move very little during
A variation to this pattern will often occur during
periods of thawing and sunshine when quail may be observed perched on
the top pole of a fence near cover, or some other dry elevated spot,9
sunning themselveso
Winter observations point up the variation in
resting cover to which quail were found capable of adaptationo
Nesting cover.
A definite need for cover occurs during a portion of
the year when quail are nestingo
Cover choices for this purpose were
found to be quite variableo
A form of overhead cover invariably was
found to have been presento
Nests were found hidden among the dense
dry grasses along the banks of canals!) (figure 15) 9 and also beneath
branches of lowaagrowing but fairly dense sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata)
0
62
Figure
Figure 16.
15. Quail nest
in grass showing concealment.
The cover area of a typical California Quail brood
in the Uintah Basin.
63
There were no apparent dominant plant species involved in the
nesting habitat choices.
Bluegrass (~ SPPO)9 quackgrass (Agropyron
repens).9 and bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum) were comrnonJy
used for this
purpose~
especiallY where windfallen
limbs~
brush piles,
or natural features of the terrain offered additional protectiono
This
latter occurrence may well have been the cause of the grasses being
ungrazed and!) hence!, dense enough for nest concealment rather t han to
have been chosen as an additional protection b.Y the nesting quailo
An
interesting variation in quail nesting was noted during the
summer of 1951 in t't'il'O broods which in late July were about two or three
weeks old o
The nests had not been under observation and the cause for
the late broods was not determined o
The studies of nesting quail yielded little ini"ormation on the
topic which would indicate that a lack of nesting habitat adverselY
affected quail populations.
Nesting habitat needs were capable of wide
adaptation to existing conditions» provided that some seclusion was
offeredo
Studies in Utah agree with Sumner (1935) who found that quail
appear to have little difficulty in finding adequate nesting covero
»ruen and Glading (1945) indicates the importance of interspersion of
cover or n edge effect t1 for quailo
The same is true of quail habitat
in Utah" however [) this d:i.d not appear important in the choice of
nesting cover!)
Quail were not observed to nest deep in heavy covero
The tendency seemed to be a choice of semi=open cover areas offering
concealment near the ground but usually with little of the taller
cover of the type used for roostingo
Interspersivn of coveTo
Observations in the Uintah Basin agree very
well with the findings as repo:rted by SUIllner (193.5).') and Erolen and
64
Glading (1945) on the requirements of interspersion of quail covero
A
preliminary survey of the quail areas in the Ashley Valley suggested an
adequate and often an abundance of quail cover\)
However.., later study
revealed deficiencies in many of these so-called "abundance" cover
areas which either prevented or ei'1'ectively limited the potential quail
increases.
A large area in the Uintah Basin was traversed to locate quail
coveys 0
Cover areas were examined for dusting signs, tracks s or other
landmarks which might isolate the possible cover area in which the few
remaining quail might be found.
The populations of quail increased
during the progress of the study and some of these less desirable", or
Bub ....marginal.? areas were then utilized by quail.
Quail were observed to remain 1rlithin 200 feet of escape cover.
exception to this occurred
on~
An
where foods became hard to geto
Uintah Basin quail were frequently flushed from sagebrush areas
interspersed with grasses and outcropping of rock.
This cover
apparently offers adequate concealment" (figm'e 16)"
rrhe common habitat deficiency in the Ashley Valley is a lack of
feeding areas sufficientlY close to adequate cover.
Ideal locations
for excellent roosting and escape cover were observed.
When few or no
quail were found in these areas, a deficiency of food bearing plants
was m.ost often f01md to exist.
Lands in the Ashley Valley that are suitable for cultivation have
long since lost their native vegetation.
Boulder strewn river banks
support a low grade of quail cover and swamps are deficient in quail
food plantso
Somewhere between these extremes the right soil and water
conditions are present to support a good growth of the cover plant
65
species such as willows$
alder 0
cottonwood~
bullberr.ys
squawbush~ birch~
and
Adjacent to this cover must be found lands fertile enough to
produce the numerous weed plant species which will provide an adequate
sUbsistence diet for quail.
The need then is apparent for two definite and distinct conditions
of soil-water relationship lying adjacent to each othero
In addition,9
the soils must be so laid out among surrounding soils as to be of little
or no use to man.
otherwise~
without assurance that the habitat will be
permanent" no expectations could be had for a stable quail population.
The normal conditions of soil and moisture adequate for production
of desirable quail habitat occur in two ecological situations in the
Ashley Valley::
(1)0
Adequate areas of quail habitat occur along old
canal banks eroded to a depth of four to six feet normally by high
waters cutting through relatively deep s01180
The canal banks and
bottoms supply the soil"",moisture relationship conducive to the adequate
growth of the desirable cover specieso
the canal banks offer
soil~oisture
growth with cultivated areas near by
no~1l1
The fertile land above and along
conditions favoring weedy plant
0
Finally the entire niche is
unmolested b,y man for a number of years because of its lack of
value to him at the time in a form other than it existso
(2)&
Adequate quail habitat production occurs along well established rivers
where floods have piled rocks and debris over at least fair soils 3
making the land unattractive for cultivationo
permitted the growth of cover specieso
This condition has
The edges of these cover areas
often are cultivated,9 preventing reliable food production but,9 if'
marshy land has resulted from the uneven piling of rocks and debris!)
there is provided edge areas for weedy growth and suitable quail ha.bitat
66
may resulto
Combined with the relatively infrequent occurrence of one or the
other of the above two cover types is the infrequently used cover
supplied by an abandoned ranch house.
This condition may well be
important" however 9 in quail survival through unusually heavy winters.
The unused buildings may be used for cover and a source of wasted
grains for food during emergency periods.
The cover relationship requirements have reduced the possible
quail areas to a mere scattering of quail habitat here and there along
the'water eourses j (figure
ditch cleaning activities
17). However s
h~ve
nearlY ever,y year spring
resulted in t he burning of cover areas.
Figure 18 illust,rates an area where burned out cover eliminated an
ideal quail area o , Quail in this area in the past normally survived
severe winters.
However~
quail have disappeared from this area
foll.owing the burning of their cover.
The quail habitat in Ashle.y Valley provides usuallY an abundant
and staple supply of
wate~..
The water requirement is not considered
serious to quail increases in the Ashley Valle,y because it must be
present to maintain the habitat.
A real difference appears in quail habitat in and around
metropolitan areas.
Sunnner foods are usually abundant in unused
corners of the lot.? raspberry patches»
areas.
Escape cover in almost
a~
cemeteries~
tree or bush is
and similar
alw~s
near.
Roosting cover may be the back fence hedge or the spruce (Picea
pungens)1' juniper (Juniperus spp.).9 arbor vitae (Thuja spp.) or
many other species that very commonly provide beautification around
the home o
67
Figure 17.
A two-brood quail range. (Note willows along
canal.) Study area" Uintah Basin" Utah.
Figure 18. Typical quail habitat, the first summer-rollowtng
spring burning of oover.
68
Hmting is nat permitted within the residential districtso
When
severe winters arrive kind hearted h'WTJans provide easily found foods o
Shelters of garages and other buildings are available in which quail
may take refuge during emergencies 0
The delicacy of fancy flowers
:ma.y- supply early spring green teed for quail,9 to the occasional
consternation of the ownero
Quail become friendly in the cities and early spring quail calls
may often be' heard o
Quail are quite camnon on the campus of
univer'sities where "landscaped cover" is in abundance.
Populations of' quail in and near metropolitan areas are estimated
to amount to more than half of our total quail population.
A very limited quail population lives around game farms.
These
quail are even more domesticated than quai1 in metropolitan areas
because feed is always available and there is often intentional
provision of habitat.
These populations of'quail are not,
however~
felt to be indicative of the ability of quail to live under wild and
adverse conditions» to withstand hunting pressure 9 deep
snows~
and
sub-zero temperatures that are a requisite to an existence in Ashley
Valley and numerous other similar areas in Utah.
69
orHER FACTORS AFFECTING QUAIL NUMBERS
Weather£) food habits,v and habitat requirements are the most
influential factors in the survival of quail in UtahO'
Other potential
decimating factors such as predation.v parasites s and disease cause
loss of quail but are not considered significant from this stuqyO'
Predation
The question of predation has thus far been omittedO'
possible evidences of predation on quail were recorded o
may be considered abundant in Ashley Valleyo
All
Predators
The predators which
were observed in and around quail areas during the study were:
skunk
&
0
0
0
0
weasel &
&
dog
&
&
goshawk
sharp-shinned hawk
great horned owl
raven
&
&
badger
qat
magpies
Cooperus hawk
prairie falcon
shrike
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
&
0
0
0
0
0'
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 1
0
0
0
0
&
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0'
0
0
0
0'
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0'
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0'
(Mephitis occidentalis)
(Mustela frenata)
(Canis sppo)
(Accipiter gentilis)
(Accipiter striatus)
(Bubo virginianus)
('CO'rVus corax)
(Taxidea taxus)
(Felis sppo)
(Pica pica hudsonia)
(Accipiter coo erii)
(Falco mexicanus
(Lanius ludovicianus)
A partial list of other animals usuallY not considered as predators
upon quail are:
prairie dog
marsh hawk
red tailed hawk
long eared owl
kingfisher
0
"0
&
0""
0
gr~
squirrel
0
"
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
(CmOmyS lell.cu:rus)
(Circus c,raneus)
(Buteo jamaicensis)
(Asio wilsonianus)
(Meiice171e aleyon)
•• •• (Citellus vari,atus)
rough legged hawk
Swainsonus hawk
sparrow hawk
0
0
0"
0
0
0
0
0
0
(Buteo regalia
(Buteo swainsoni)
(!!!9-co sparverius)
70
Three observations were made of quail kills which were recorded
(1)0
as predation:
A banded quail was killed by a sharp-shinned hawk o
The flesh had been imperfectly removed from the boneso
(2)0
was intact and the leg band was recovered o
banded quail marked with "Bow-ties" were found o
the kill was made by a Cooperus hawk o
frequent the area o
writerUs traps.
(3)0
The skeleton
The remains of a
Evidence indicated
This predator was known to
Two quail were found dead in one of the
Unmistakable evidence of a skunk remained.
Observations indicated that quail were alert to enemies.
Quail
detected predators in the vicinity more rapidJ,y than did the observero
A pair of long-eared owls raised two young in a tree nest overhead from the roosting and escape cover of a brood of quailo
An
examination of 28 pellets from in and below the owl nest indicated
that the food of these raptors was made up of mice (Microtus and
Peromyscus).
No signs of quail predation were evidento
The quail
were observed to have had excellent survival when fall coveys began
to assembleo
The two cases of suspected hawk activity were believed to have
been caused by three factors:
cover.
(1)
0
Foods were scarce near escape
The quail were forced to move into areas some distance from
cover to obtalll food o
The losses were,?
caused by a deficiency in the habitato
therefore~
(2)0
felt to have been
The quail had been
trapped and "Bow-ties" affixed to the birds o This factorJ) together
with the previous one 9 is felt to have made these quail more
conspicuous and susceptible to predationo
(3) 0
Trapping operations
may possibly have caused injuries to the quails making them more
easilY caught by predatorso
71
Skunks are· normalLY too slow to be effective predators on quail,
except where they might find eggs in a nesto
The effect of skunks as
predators of quail is believed to be negligible,!) even though in some
areas skunks were quite numerouso
In
general~ qu~il
areas are typically near irrigated land and
close to small towns or farming conununities.
Numerous cats" many
appearing to be feral$) were noted as cornmonplacee
instances of cat predation on quail were recorded.
No specific
Quail were
observed alert in the presence of cats and very cautious o
Experimentation with t rune pets indicat ed that quail are a very
desirable prey for a hungry cat"
may well be one of
The writer feels that cats in Utah
the more important predators of a quail populationo
The food habits of the feral house cat ir! California were
studied by Hubbs (1951).
His study area contained verJ few quail,
however 9 the data indicated that quail were eaten by cats.
This adds
support to the writer Us observations concerning the threat of cats as
a predator of quailG
Evidence gathered in this study has not given any indication
that predation is a factor in limiting quail populationso
There seems
no reason to suppose that predation can be held responsible as a
factor seriously influencing Ashley Valley quail populationsG
Data of this study agree with Errington (1934) who contends that
predation upon a population of bobwhites varies with the ratio
between the carrying capacity of the environment and the populationo
He explains this further by citing an example ~
"Should the bob-white popUlation for some reason be lower than
the carrying capacity of the land~ the predation rate is greatly
lessened,,"
72
This apparent condition existed during the present stuqy, wherein a
low population level in a normallr productive environment evidenced
little predation.
Errington (1933e) prefers to look upon bobwhite
winter predation as a reflection of the
"0 ••
inadequacy of the
environment to accommodate existing densities".
Parasites and disease
No detailed
stu~
of parasites and disease was possible in the
Ashley Valley during the period of the study.
Road-killed quail were
examined,9 however f) whenever possible for evidence of parasites and
disease.
No internal parasites were collected.
Three of the quail
that were examined were found to be harboring bird lice (Mallophaga).
The infestations were fairlY heavy.
In consideration of the many
birds handled during the period of the study, this uncommon
occurrence of parasites suggests that the infection rate is low.
Parasites appear.\> from what limited observations were obtained,
to be ineffective on wild quail populations in Utah.
Coccidiosis is known to have occurred in Utah in captive quail.
The infected birds appeared highlY susceptible to infection.
Mortality did occur because of the disease or its resultant causes.
Infections of coccidiosis in quail are reported by Henry (1931) to
have been caused by one of three species of Eimeria.
Sulfa
quinoxaline was found to be effective in the control of the infection
in Utah o
Bird malaria (Haemoproteus Lophortyx OVRoke) has been found by
QURoke (1928~ 1930 3 1932), Herman (19L2), and Herman and Bischoff
(1949) to be present in the quail of
California~
OVRoke (1932)
found evidence of the infection in most of the native quail sampled o
73
A 65 percent infection rate was the heaviest found in native wild
birds in California» while 100 percent of one captive flock had the
diseaseo
Infections of Haemoproteus Lophortyx 0 uRoke are transmitted from
bird to bird b.r the louse flY (tynchia hirsuta Ferris).
Studies by
Herman and Bischoff (1949) indicate tha-t the infection persists over
a long period of time.
The disease may be present and has been
observed to reoccur in quail when blood smears failed to indicate a
positive existence of the disease.
Infections of
gapeworm~
caused
qy the nematode §Yngamus trachae,
have been observed in other birds in Utah o
Herman (1945) reports
that quail are susceptible to this diseaseo
No evidence has been
found in this study which would indicate that wild populations of
quail in Utah are troubled by this parasite.
This nematode attaches
to the interior wall of the trachae, most often just anterior to the
branch of the bronchial tubes.
It causes the birds to sneeze and
gasp intermittentlY for air.
Workers have not found conclusive evidence that disease is a
critical factor in quail populations.
Quail disappear rapidly in
utah during limited periods of timee
This might possibly suggest
disease as the cause of mortality.
However~
since greatest
reduction in numbers appears onlY at critical survival periods 9 it is
felt that disease 9 if responsible at all for
secondary importance onlye
mortality~
is of
74
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
There is no evidence to indicate that hunters have killed too
m~
quail in Utah, regardless of their scarcity or abundance.
Quail populations increase under the relatively light hunting
pressure they have been subjected to in Utah.
It is recommended that all areas on which hunting is feasible
may be opened to the hunting of quail during the short pheasant and
quail seasons as in the past without undue concern over the survival
of quail.
Adequate cover will insure good quail survival following
seasons with reasonable hunting pressureo
Observations in Utah
agree with Glading and Saarni (1944) who failed to find adverse
effects on the potential breeding population following a
25
percent
ld.ll of the quail population in California.
Snow cover is not normallY encountered by quail in their native
range.
Many of the quail foods are covered by snow during winter
months in Utah.
Winter trapping operations have shown that quail in
good flesh and with plenty of food are unable to walk through six
inches 6f light snow.
The reaction of quail to winter conditions
appears to be one of remaining inactive in heavy
a break in the weather a
extend for a week or
cover~
waiting for
When deep snow and sub=zero temperatures
more~
quail were observed to search for food at
the base of trees and under heavy cover where snows normallY were
not so deep.
Observations showed that loose unpacked snows remaining on the
75
ground in Ashley Valley were not an uncommon occurrence and were more
frequent than in the Salt Lake areae
This quality of snow cover was
perhaps more influential in preventing quail survival during the
winters of 1948=1949 than any one factor.
A cOITe1ation appears to exist between the kill of quail and the
weather conditionso
State averages of minimum temperatures and snow-
fall from November through March of 1947 through 1951 have been
assembled.
This is the period of time on which statewide samples of
ld.ll data on quail are available e
Kill figures were derived from a
sampling of 10 percent of the upland bird hunters of the state each
year e
Cross....checking the accuracy of this kill sample technique has
indicated consistent reliability in the data.
The winter of 1947 ....1948 was mild e
315.
were
Deep snows in January
fo~lowed by
The quail ldll in 1948 was
1949 and extreme sub-zero temperatures
a kill of 18 during the fall of 1949.
The
succeeding two winters progressively were observed to have been
milder with a kill of" 67 quail in 1950,9 and 155 quail reported killed
in 1951~ (figure
19). Weather data are not yet available for 1952,
however!) preliminary observations indicate that severe winter weather
will probably reduce the quail kill in the fall of 19520
We might infer from the above data that quail kill is varied by
the population density and that population density is largely
dependent upon severity of winter weathero
Food preferences show that non-cultivated plants supply winter
food for qUail o
This indicates that quail populations will decrease
when grazing or CUltivation is extensive in the quail area.
Coverts supplying winter food and protection are major factors
10'
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77
Quail have failed to survive
in the status of our quail populationso
sub.,..zero weather with an adequate food supply.
This points up the
importance of cover as a major requirement for wintering quail in
Utah.
It is possible to increase quail populations in Utah o
Careful
eva1.uations would need to be made of presently used habitat and
provide, where possible, an increase in the deficient portions.
It
appears improbable that an extensive effort of this sort is justified
because quail are not important to Utah hunters.
The evaluation of quail habitat requires a lmowledge of plants
and of an interrelation of plant species
0
Landowners cannot be
expected to consider quail habitat in this much detail.
is easy for him to know where his quail have been living.
However" it
Thus he
can determine the presence of acceptable habitat in these areas.
On
the other hand, he soon learns that burning out that old willow patch,
spraying with chemicals" or overgrazing the area will cause the quail
using this area to disappear
4)
In order to stabilize and increase quail in Utah we must:-
(1)
provide suitable habitat in order to offer m.axilnum protection and
food availability to quail dtn"ing the winter~ and (2) mainta:in the
habitat over a prolonged period of timeo
, The most practical approach to a maintenance and improvement of
quail populations appears to rest with the interest of farmers and
landowners.
If they are informed of the known needs of quail" they
can" in their every day planning" arrange to preserve adequate quail
habitat.
When deep winter snows bury the poorer quailcoverls it is
too late t-o attempt re-establishment of food supplies and needed cover
o
78
The management of waste areas near cultivated fields will determine the future of wild populations of utah quail.
79
SUMMARY
1.
The study of California Quail in the Uintah Basin was carried
on from April 1950 through November 1951.
The Utah qUail distri-
bution was found to extend in a narrow band through the center of the
state in a north-south direction with small populations more widely
scattered where patches of quail habitat were present.
2.
The quail population in Ashley Valley" Uintah County, was
extremely low in the spring of 1950.
located on the study area.
Only six pairs of quail were
The brood stock had increased 100 percent
b,y the spring of 1951.
3. A calculated 750 acres of quail habitat were available for
each pair of quail in the spring of 1950. The quail density increased
to one. quail pair per 60 acres in the fall of 1951.
4. An
In 1951"
7.4
average of
7.7
young per quail brood was found in 1950.
young per brood was obtained for a computed population
increase somewhere between the minimum of
74 percent and a maximum of
95 percent.
5.
Young quail were first observed June 20" 1950.
were difficult to get.
Brood counts
Best results were obtained from an automobile
with the aid of field glasses.
6. Uintah Basin hunting returns on quail provided sex, weights 9
and age ratio data on 22 quail killed in 1950 9 and 27 in 1951.
1950, 42 percent of the quail bagged were males and
juveniles.
In
In
~4 percent were
1951 an average of 61 peroent males and 81 percent
80
juvenile quail were killed by hunters.
7. Statewide returns of hunter questionnaires indicated that the
quail population densities s rather than length of season or hunting
pressureS! determined the kill o
Kill data suggest that six counties
are important producers of harvest able quail populations in Utaho
8.
Progressive weight data on young quail indicate that most
rapid growth occurs during the three to four week old period.
Wild
juveniles 'Were smaller than semi-domesticated juvenile quail.
9. The average adult female quail in March weighed
148
which was 7 grams less than the average weight of the male.
the hen weight increased to
7.5
grams»
In April
grams heavier than the cock" with
weight reductions in August when. the adult female was 12 grams
lighter than the 178 gram average of the cocko
Uintah Basin were the lowest recorded
Q
March weights in the
Losses in weight 'Were ten
percent of the 167 gram weight average of 118 adult quail.
lOG
A fall survey in 1951 indicated that quail populations were
increastrig.
Quail were observed to be spreading into new
areas~
however, in only one county.
11. Roadside count data for Morgan County over a three ,year
period indicated a severe quail decline in 1950.
This reduction in
numbers was report ed in general throughout Utah quail areas
12.
A total of 108 co of food materials from 40 crops of road
killed and hunter bagged quail was analyzed o
plant foods were identified.
were:
I)
Twenty-four species of
The five most important food species
clover (Melilotus spPo)!J alfalfa (Medicago sativa)9 tumbleweed
(Salsola ~)!) bullberry (Elaeagnus argentea):> and wheat (Triticum
SPPD)D A number of weed species was represented in foods of Utah quail.
81
13. Hythergraphic comparisons of Utah olimate with that of the
native California range indicated a wide variation during the winter
months.
Winter snow depths and sub-zero temperatures may be expected
to adversely affect quail survival in utah o
Abnormally heavy losses
are to be expected during severe winters.
14.
Domina:n.t cover requirements in winter appeared to be the
dense arch-shaped willows providing an overhead snow mantle.
resting~
Nesting,
and escape cover needs can be varied widely to meet existing
conditions.
The common habitat deficiency was found to be a lack of
suitable food sufficiently close to cover areas o
15.
Suitable quail habitat in Utah is found in two ecological
8ituations:
( a)
0
along old canal banks where cover is available in
the bottoms" ed food species along the margins of the cover" and
(b)o
along rivers and streams where debris makes land of little value
to agriculture and permits .growth of cover and food speciese
16. Quail in and around metropolitan areas find ideal habitat.
Food and cover are provided by well
meaning humans.
Hunting is not
permitted in cities and quail become serni-domesticated under these
co:rtditioD,s.
Quail in metropolitan areas make up more than an
estimated half' of the total quail populations in Ut.ho
170
Predation was not found to be an important factor ill quail
populations 0
18.
Three of the numerous quail examined in the study area were
found infested with bird 1iceo
in quail held in captivityo
Coccidiosis is known to have occurred
No evidence was found of coccidiosis or
other diseases occurring in wild quail in Utaho
19. It is recommended that all quail areas in Utah may be hunted
82
similar'to past seasonso
Hunting, as conducted in the past9 was found
to be no threat to quail survival in Utah.
200
From 1948 to 1951, quail hunter kill in Utah is cOlTelated
with the severity of winter weather.
Kills vary with quail population
density s not hunting pressure or length of s easono
21.
Adequate cover is a major need for winter survival of
California Quail brood stock in Utah.
22.
Quail populations may be stabilized by providing adequate
habitat over extended periods of time.
Utah.
Quail need dense cover in
Burning of cover", use of spray chemicals,9 and grazing threatens
present and potential quail covero
230
The future of wild populations of quail in Utah depends upon
the landownerts management of waste areas near cultivated fields.
83
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The 1934 drought and southern Iowa bobwhite.
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19.36a
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1935
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1939
Certain mechanics of winter quail losses revealed by
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1942
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1943
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1949
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1937
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Hjersman" Ho A.
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nesting losses of the California valle,y
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1951
Food habits of feral house cats in the Sacramento
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1933
Abundance and conservation of the Bob-white in Ohio.
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1937
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1939
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1950
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Massey, A. B.
1938
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1930
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1945
Inbreeding among pen-reared quail.
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91
QURoke, E. Co
1928
Parasites and parasitic diseases in the California
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1930
The morphology» transmission, and life-history of
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1934
Check list of birds of the world.
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1945
First-winter plumages in the gallifor.mes.
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1949
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1931
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Some flocking habits of the California quailo
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1938
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92
Reeves" M. C.
1951
Whistling quail count.
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1941
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Ridgway, Robert and Herbert Friedmann
1946
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1949
Review of literature on factors affecting bobwhite
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Does inbreeding cause the cycle on game animals?
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1932
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1949
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1946
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1924
Soil survey of the Ashley ValleY9 Utah.
Agric. Bureau of Soils 9 30 ppo
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1942
Studies on valley quail. In Co B& Hutchinson and Eo Ie
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q~~E'
Eo 1., Jr.
1932
1ife history and environmental requirements of the
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1935
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c.
--~---"l.'9h9a
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19G9b
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1945
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1939
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1938
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1931
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1948
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1939
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1936
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The propagation of California quail in open breeding
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The California quail sanctuary and game refuge
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0